Virtual Cardiology: Past, Present, Future Directions, and Considerations

Overview

Journal Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep

Publisher Springer

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2023 Jun 12

PMID 37305213

Authors

Gauranga Mahalwar

Ashish Kumar

Ankur Kalra

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose Of Review: Through this review, we attempt to explore the role of telemedicine and virtual visits in the field of cardiology pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic, their limitations and their future scope for delivery of care.

Recent Findings: Telemedicine, which rose to prominence during COVID-19 pandemic, helped not only in reducing the burden on the healthcare system during a time of crisis but also in improving patient outcomes. Patients and physicians also favored virtual visits when feasible. Virtual visits were found to have the potential to be continued beyond the pandemic and play a significant role in patient care alongside conventional face-to-face visits.

Summary: Although tele-cardiology has proven beneficial in terms of patient care, convenience, and access, it comes with its fair share of limitations-both logistical and medical. Whilst there remains a great scope for improvement in the quality of patient care provided through telemedicine, it has shown the potential to become an integral part of medical practice in the future.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12170-023-00719-0.

Citing Articles

Heart Failure Management through Telehealth: Expanding Care and Connecting Hearts.

Tedeschi A, Palazzini M, Trimarchi G, Conti N, Di Spigno F, Gentile P J Clin Med. 2024; 13(9).

PMID: 38731120 PMC: 11084728. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13092592.

References

Goulabchand R, Bocle H, Vignet R, Sotto A, Loubet P . Digital tablets to improve quality of life of COVID-19 older inpatients during lockdown. Eur Geriatr Med. 2020; 11(4):705-706. PMC: 7293177. DOI: 10.1007/s41999-020-00344-9. View

Houston A, McLeod K, Richens T, Doig W, Lilley S, Murtagh E . Assessment of the quality of neonatal echocardiographic images transmitted by ISDN telephone lines. Heart. 1999; 82(2):222-5. PMC: 1729137. DOI: 10.1136/hrt.82.2.222. View

McNamara R, Herrin J, Bradley E, Portnay E, Curtis J, Wang Y . Hospital improvement in time to reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction, 1999 to 2002. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006; 47(1):45-51. PMC: 1475926. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.04.071. View

Roth A, Malov N, Steinberg D, Yanay Y, Elizur M, Tamari M . Telemedicine for post-myocardial infarction patients: an observational study. Telemed J E Health. 2009; 15(1):24-30. DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2008.0068. View

Molinari G, Molinari M, Di Biase M, Brunetti N . Telecardiology and its settings of application: An update. J Telemed Telecare. 2017; 24(5):373-381. DOI: 10.1177/1357633X16689432. View

Evangelista A, Flachskampf F, Lancellotti P, Badano L, Aguilar R, Monaghan M . European Association of Echocardiography recommendations for standardization of performance, digital storage and reporting of echocardiographic studies. Eur J Echocardiogr. 2008; 9(4):438-48. DOI: 10.1093/ejechocard/jen174. View

Hollander J, Carr B . Virtually Perfect? Telemedicine for Covid-19. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(18):1679-1681. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp2003539. View

Oliveros E, Mahmood K, Mitter S, Pinney S, Lala A . Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring during the COVID-19 Pandemic in New York City. J Card Fail. 2020; 26(10):900-901. PMC: 7427572. DOI: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2020.08.003. View

Katz J, Sinha S, Alviar C, Dudzinski D, Gage A, Brusca S . COVID-19 and Disruptive Modifications to Cardiac Critical Care Delivery: JACC Review Topic of the Week. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020; 76(1):72-84. PMC: 7161519. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.04.029. View

10.

Kobulnik J, Wang I, Bell C, Moayedi Y, Truong N, Sinha S . Management of Frail and Older Homebound Patients With Heart Failure: A Contemporary Virtual Ambulatory Model. CJC Open. 2022; 4(1):47-55. PMC: 8767131. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjco.2021.08.015. View

11.

Alhejily W . Efficacy of Telemedicine Utilization for Cardiac Outpatients' Care during the Pandemic of COVID-19: A Large Center Experience in the Wave of the Pandemic. Int J Telemed Appl. 2022; 2022:4156436. PMC: 9115730. DOI: 10.1155/2022/4156436. View

12.

Vandekerckhove P, Vandekerckhove Y, Tavernier R, De Jaegher K, de Mul M . Leveraging User Experience to Improve Video Consultations in a Cardiology Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Initial Insights. J Med Internet Res. 2020; 22(6):e19771. PMC: 7318925. DOI: 10.2196/19771. View

13.

Naqvi T . Is there a silver lining for US health care from COVID-19 pandemic?. Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2020; 21(2):155-156. DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm.2020.02.64. View

14.

Molinari G, Reboa G, Frascio M, Leoncini M, Rolandi A, Balzan C . The role of telecardiology in supporting the decision-making process of general practitioners during the management of patients with suspected cardiac events. J Telemed Telecare. 2002; 8(2):97-101. DOI: 10.1258/1357633021937541. View

15.

Kruse C, Karem P, Shifflett K, Vegi L, Ravi K, Brooks M . Evaluating barriers to adopting telemedicine worldwide: A systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2018; 24(1):4-12. PMC: 5768250. DOI: 10.1177/1357633X16674087. View

16.

Barrios V, Cosin-Sales J, Bravo M, Escobar C, Gamez J, Huelmos A . Telemedicine consultation for the clinical cardiologists in the era of COVID-19: present and future. Consensus document of the Spanish Society of Cardiology. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2020; 73(11):910-918. PMC: 7456304. DOI: 10.1016/j.rec.2020.06.032. View

17.

Scalvini S, Zanelli E, Conti C, Volterrani M, Pollina R, Giordano A . Assessment of prehospital chest pain using telecardiology. J Telemed Telecare. 2002; 8(4):231-6. DOI: 10.1258/135763302320272211. View

18.

Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, Zhu F, Liu X, Zhang J . Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA. 2020; 323(11):1061-1069. PMC: 7042881. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.1585. View

19.

Chaudhry S, Mattera J, Curtis J, Spertus J, Herrin J, Lin Z . Telemonitoring in patients with heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363(24):2301-9. PMC: 3237394. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1010029. View

20.

Guan W, Ni Z, Hu Y, Liang W, Ou C, He J . Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(18):1708-1720. PMC: 7092819. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2002032. View