Reviews (n=15) | Description of included interventions | Type of Studies included (no) | Targeted Health care Providers | Outcome reported | Pooled Data (Y/N) | Results | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  | Other outcomes | MNH specific outcomes |  |  |
Black 2011[52] | The researchers divided e-Health technologies into three main categories: (1) storing, managing, and transmission of data; (2) clinical decision support; and (3) facilitating care from a distance. | 53 systematic reviews | Various health care professionals | Patient outcomes | Electronic prescribing | No | Weak to moderate effect (10 out of a total of 26 studies) |
 |  |  |  |  | Aassociated computerised provider (or physician) order entry systems |  | 6 out of a total of 6 studies showed no benefit |
Gagnon 09[65] | Any type of intervention to promote the adoption and use of any type of Information Communication Technology (ICT) (electronic medical record, telemedicine/ tele-health, health information networks, decision support tools, Internet-based technologies and services). | RCT: 09 ITS: 01 | healthcare professionals, residents, fellows, and other registered healthcare professionals in HIC | Information and communication technology adoption | Â | No | Small to moderate positive effect on adoption (4/10) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | No significant positive effect (4/10) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | Mixed effect (2/10) |
Hayrinen 08[58] | Electronic health records: definitions, structure, context, access, purpose and methods | 89 papers | Health care professionals in HIC | Electronic health records: definitions, structure, context, access, purpose and methods | Â | No | Narrative |
Irani 09[60] | Use of Electronic health record system in outpatient and office setting | Cross-sectional: 03 Pre-post: 04 (meta-analyzed: 03) | Physicians in HIC | Patient satisfaction | Â | Yes | 3.7% (2.9-5.2%) |
McGowan 09[61] | Provision and access to electronically retrievable health records at point of healthcare delivery and training component | cRCT’s: 02 | Physicians, nurses and midwives in HIC | Professional behavior |  | No | No significant change (2/2) |
 |  |  |  | Improvement in knowledge |  |  | Improved knowledge (1/2) |
Ballas 1997 (electronic communication)[51] | Distance technology applications were described in 6 categories: computerized communication, telephone follow-up and counseling, telephone reminders, interactive telephone systems, after-hours telephone access, and telephone screening. | 80 clinical trials | General healthcare providers | Computerized communication: Clinical outcomes for diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cardiac diseases |  | No | HbA 1c decreased (4/4) Insignificant changes in other outcomes |
 |  |  |  | Telephonic follow-up: ED visits |  |  | Significant improvements in keeping appointment, compliance, follow-up care, satisfaction |
 |  |  |  | Cardiac care |  |  | Significant improvement in smoking cessation, exercise, general activity, knowledge |
 |  |  |  |  | Mammography use |  | Significant increase in no of mammograms (Range: 14%-25%) |
 |  |  |  | Osteoarthritis |  |  | Significant improvement in AIMS score |
 |  |  |  | Tobacco use prevention |  |  | Significant decrease of 8.3% |
 |  |  |  | Appointment keeping rates |  |  | Appointment kept or responsibly cancelled (5/6) |
 |  |  |  |  | Immunization rates |  | Significant increase (Range: 6.4%-27.2%) |
 |  |  |  | Medication compliance |  |  | Significant improvement in compliance events and pharmacy score |
 |  |  |  | Diabetic foot care |  |  | Significant improvement in Serious foot lesions, dry or cracked skin, ingrown toenails and fungal nail infections |
 |  |  |  | Osteoarthritis |  |  | Significant improvement in physical disability and pain |
All designated telephone consultation systems where patients calls are received, assessed and managed by giving advice or by referral to a more appropriate service. This included those with and without computer based clinical decision support systems | RCT: 05 CCT:01 ITS: 03 | healthcare providers in HIC | Visit to GP’s |  | No | Significant reduction (3/5) | |
 |  |  |  | Visits to A&E department |  |  | No difference (6/7), significant increase (1/7) |
 |  |  |  | Hospital admissions |  |  | Reduction in hospital admissions (2/2) |
 |  |  |  | Home visit |  |  | No significant reduction (1/1) |
 |  |  |  | Out of hours contact |  |  | Small significant increase (1/2) |
 |  |  |  | Patient satisfaction |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  | Cost |  |  |  |
Car 11[55] | Online health literacy | RCT: 01 CBA: 01 | All patients/ consumers | Self-efficacy for health information seeking | Â | No | 1.10 points higher in intervention group |
 |  |  |  | Health information evaluation skills |  |  | 0.60 points higher in intervention group |
 |  |  |  | # of times pt. discussed online |  |  | 0.7 times higher in intervention group |
Currell 00 (telemedicine)[56] | Studies which compare the provision of patient care face to face with care given using telecommunications technologies, in which at least two communication media are used interactively (e.g. video consultation between hospital consultant and general practitioner). | Trials: 07 | Qualified healthcare practitioners from any discipline in HIC | Measurable difference in outcome of care | Â | No | No unequivocal benefit (7/7) |
 |  |  |  | Economic consequence |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  | Acceptability of care |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  | Difference in professional practice |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  | Difference in transfer of care |  |  |  |
Grilli 02 | Mass media | ITS: 20 | Healthcare providers patients and general public | Effectiveness | Â | No | Effective in improving healthcare utilization (7/7 studies) |
Heselmans 09[59] | An electronic guideline implementation method was defined as an electronic system directly supporting evidence-based clinical decision making in which point-of care advice is provided based on one or more CPGs | 20 cRCT, 1 CCT, 2 CBA | physicians | Patient outcomes | Â | No | 7/23 studies had >50% of the process outcomes significantly improved |
 |  |  |  | Process outcomes |  |  |  |
Mistiaen 06 (telephone follow-ups)[62] | Telephone follow-up (TFU) initiated by a hospital-based health professional (medical, nursing, social work, pharmaceutical) to a patient who is discharged to his/her own home setting (including a relative’s home). | 33 RCT’s and controlled trials | hospital based healthcare professional in HIC | Compliance in cardiac surgery patients |  |  | 1.68 [0.59, 4.78] |
 |  |  |  | Compliance in ED patients (making an appointment) |  |  | 1.68 [0.59, 4.78] |
 |  |  |  | Compliance in ED patients (keeping an appointment) |  |  | 1.58 [1.01, 2.48] |
 |  |  |  | Effect on knowledge in cardiac patients |  |  | 1.44 [-0.25, 3.13] |
 |  |  |  | Effect on readmission(cardiac patients) |  |  | 0.75 [0.41, 1.36] |
 |  |  |  | Effect on readmission in surgery patients |  |  | 0.65 [0.28, 1.55] |
 |  |  |  | ED visits in surgery patients |  |  | 1.47 [0.85, 2.53] |
Noordam 11[19] | The potential of mobile phones to improve maternal health services in Low and Middle Income Countries | Projects | LMIC | Accessing emergency obstetric care, improving the capacity of lesser trained health workers, empowering women | Â | No | Narrative |
Shiffman 99[63] | Computer based guideline implementation | RCT: 9, NRCT: 01 time series: 10, | clinicians and other information providers in HIC | Guideline adherence | Â | No | Improved in 14 of 18 studies |
 |  |  |  | Documentation |  |  | Improved in 4 of 4 studies. |
Tan 12 (telemedicine)[64] | Telemedicine technology focused on education and support to the parents or caretakers of newborn infants receiving intensive care. | 1 RCT | NICU staff in Indonesia | Â | Length of hospital stay | Yes | -2.10 (-18.85-14.65) |