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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Video-based telemedicine provides an alternative health care delivery model for patients with CKD. The objective was to provide an overview of the available evidence on the implementation and outcomes of adopting video-based telemedicine in nephrology. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, the video-based interventions used; and clinical, health care utilization, and patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: After reviewing 1870 unique citations, 24 studies were included (four randomized controlled trials, six cohort studies, five pre-post intervention studies, seven case series, and two qualitative studies). Video-based technology was used to facilitate care across all stages of CKD. Although earlier studies used a range of institution-specific technologies that linked main hospital sites to more remote health care locations, more recent studies used technology platforms that allowed patients to receive care in a location of their choice. Video-based care was well received, with the studies reporting high patient satisfaction and acceptable clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Video-based telemedicine is being used for kidney care and has evolved to be less reliant on specialized telemedicine equipment. As its use continues to grow, further primary studies and systematic reviews of outcomes associated with the latest innovations to video-based care in nephrology can address knowledge gaps, such as approaches to sustainable integration and minimization of barriers to access.
Young et al. (Wed,) studied this question.