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. 2019 Jul 15;137(2):184–192. doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.0177240419

Table 2. Characteristics of studies included.

Intervention Comparison Population Benefits and harms Certainty of evidence
Telehealthcare with input from a professional9 Standard care Patients of any age, gender, ethnicity or language with COPD diagnosed by a clinician (n = 1,004)

  • - Total number of exacerbations recorded showed borderline statistical significance

  • - Significantly fewer episodes of exacerbation per month.

  • - Number of days free from exacerbations after one year was higher within the intervention group (30%)

  • - There was a minimally clinically significant change regarding quality of life.

  • - Fewer visits to the emergency service

  • - Lower hospital admission rate

  • - No difference in mortality rate between the groups.

 - not assessed
Remote check-ups for asthma10 Standard check-up Adults or children with asthma (n = 2,100)

  • - Greater need for oral corticosteroid intake in comparison with the control group

  • - Fewer exacerbation than in face-to-face check-up group.

  • - No difference in score relating to the Asthma Control Questionnaire

  • - Lung function improvement (reported in one study)

  • - Higher number of serious adverse events reported. Exacerbation requiring hospital admission was the most frequent of the events

  • - Quality of life score similar to that of the control group (Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire)

  • - low level

  • - low level

  • - moderate level

  • - moderate level

  • - not assessed

  • - not assessed
Home telemonitoring and remote feedback between clinic visits for asthma11 Standard care Adults or children with a diagnosis of asthma (n = 2,268)

  • - Number of episodes of exacerbation requiring oral corticosteroids was similar to that of standard care

  • - No difference between telemonitoring and usual monitoring, regarding exacerbations requiring hospital admission

  • - Improvement in the asthma quality of life score

  • - Improvement of lung function

  • - Telemonitoring did not lead to any clear increase or decrease in the number of unscheduled healthcare visits

  • - low level

  • - moderate level

  • - low level

  • - moderate level

  • - very low level
Telerehabilitation12 Standard rehabilitation People with low vision or visual function loss due to any ocular condition - Not assessed (no studies included) - not assessed
Telerehabilitation13 Standard rehabilitation Patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (> 18 years old) (n = 531)

  • - Reduction of short-term disability and symptoms such as fatigue

  • - Long-term improvement in functional activities and impairments (such as fatigue, pain and insomnia)

  • - Social re-integration measured through quality of life and psychological outcomes.

  • - No adverse events relating to telerehabilitation were reported

 - low level
Telerehabilitation14 Standard care Patients diagnosed with stroke (n = 933)

  • - No difference in independence regarding activities of daily living and upper-limb function.

  • - Insufficient data to draw conclusions regarding the effects of the intervention on mobility, health-related quality of life or participant satisfaction.

  • - No adverse events relating to telerehabilitation were reported.

 - not assessed
Baby Carelink15 Standard care Parents of high-risk newborns in NICU (n = 56) - No difference between groups regarding the length of hospital stay - very low
Interventions delivered by telephone16 Standard care HIV-infected patients (n = 1,381)

  • - No difference in adherence to antiretroviral medication

  • - No difference in depressive symptoms

  • - low quality

  • - low quality
Non-invasive telemonitoring17 Standard care Patients with heart failure (n = 3,860)

  • - Reduction in all-cause mortality rates

  • - Reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations

  • - No difference in reduction of risk of all-cause hospitalizations

  • - moderate level

  • - moderate level

  • - very low level
Structured telephone17 Standard care Patients with heart failure (n = 9,332)

  • - Reduction in all-cause mortality rates

  • - Reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations

  • - No difference in reduction of risk of all-cause hospitalizations

  • - moderate level

  • - moderate level

  • - very low level
Psychological therapies delivered remotely18 Face-to-face psychological therapy or waiting list Children and adolescents (0 to 18 years old) with chronic pain (n = 371)

  • - Severity of headache pain reduced post-treatment

  • - Pain intensity reduced post-treatment in mixed pain conditions (i.e. recurrent abdominal pain or musculoskeletal pain)

  • - At follow-up: no difference in headache conditions

  • - No difference in depression in headache group

 - not assessed

NICU = neonatal intensive care unit; COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; n = number of participants.