Table 1.

Summary of study characteristics

Sl. No.	Author(s) & Year	Location of study	Objectives	Type of study	Study population	Sample size	Applications	Benefits	Challenges
1	Das et al., 2020 [32]	India	Examine the teleconsultation experience of patients.	Cross-sectional study	Ophthalmology patients	n = 2805	Timely response to eye problems through the use of electronic medical records (EMR).	Positive feedback from the majority of patients.	Lack of EMR system.
2	Anjana et al., 2020 [33]	India	Evaluate the lockdown effects on the adoption of newer technologies.	Cross-sectional study	Type 2 diabetes patients	n = 2510	Provided diabetes education. Easy accessibility to diabetes care.	Patient satisfaction. Access to specialists. Remote care. Reduce travel time and cost.	Lack of physical touch. Lack of clarity in the legal framework.
3	Kumari et al., 2020 [34]	North India	Assess the use of telemedicine in follow-up care.	Cohort study	Children with respiratory illnesses	n = 188	Successful follow-up care for children who have respiratory problems.	Recommend to others. Time and cost-saving.	Difficulty in phone communication. Connectivity issues.
4	Bhargava & Sarkar, 2020 [35]	India	Evaluate the usage, opinions and attitudes of dermatologists on virtual consultations.	Cross-sectional study	Dermatologists	n = 260	New and follow-up patients. Useful for the vulnerable and older population	High physician satisfaction. Easy accessibility. Cost-effectiveness	Difficult to understand patient needs. Internet speed. Technological illiteracy.
5	S. Kumar et al., 2020 [36]	India	Evaluate the telemedicine effectiveness in follow-up care and patient satisfaction.	Cross-sectional study	Orthopaedic patients	n = 450	Successful follow-up of orthopaedic patients.	High patient satisfaction Reduces long-distance travel and related costs and discomfort	Lack of physical examination. Failed patient-provider communication. Network issues Unfamiliarity with video calls. Suitability of devices
6	P. Kumar et al., 2020 [37]	North India	Evaluate telemedicine feasibility and different factors that contribute to effective teleconsultation.	Cross-sectional study	Patients with different haematological illnesses	n = 944	Follow-up care. Provided advice on drug dose modification or continuation of therapy.	Avoid long travel and tiring journey. Save man-hours. Decrease school/office holidays. Reduce overcrowding.	Challenges in drug availability. Lack of physical examination. Lack of smartphones and internet facility. Limited patient education. Proper surroundings for communication.
7	Panda et al., 2020 [38]	Uttarakhand (North India)	Investigates the efficacy and feasibility of advanced techniques of telecommunication.	Cohort study	Children with various neurological disorders	n = 153	Clarified queries of caregivers including drug availability and dosage and commercial brands.	A feasible and effective option for providing medical advice.	Lack of smartphones. Slow-speed internet. Inadequate technical knowledge. Fake practitioners.
8	Pandey et al., 2020 [39]	North India	Examine the feasibility, patient’s clinical profile and addressability using teleconsultations.	Cross-sectional study	Ophthalmologists	n = 32	About 60% of consultations were successfully managed without physical examination.	Virtual advice is sufficient for many eye care problems.	Legal concerns. Unavailability of technology. Lack of trust in modality. Data confidentiality. Poor means of communication. Unawareness among rural people.
9	Sahu et al., 2020 [40]	India	Evaluate the acceptability of e-consult for substance use disorder management.	Cross-sectional study	Health care providers (HCPs)	n = 68	Receive guidance from specialists.	Increased accessibility. Time-saving. High HCP satisfaction.	Patient privacy. Not as suitable as in-person consultations.
10	Agrawal and Agarwal, 2020 [41]	Indore, Madhya Pradesh	Analyse the impact of teleophthalmology in the management of eye diseases.	Cohort study	Patients with eye problems	n = 119	Diagnosis and management of most of the cases of tele ocular surface disorders.	Advancement of digital media. Easy availability of smartphones.	Not effective in treating eye diseases that need intervention.
11	Garg et al., 2021 [42]	Delhi	Assess the feasibility of tele neurorehabilitation (TNR) in low-resource contexts.	Cohort study	Patients with Parkinson’s disease	n = 22	The TNR intervention was shown to be safe, with no serious consequences.	TNR is a feasible option among patients with Parkinson’s disease	Shared smartphones. Wi-Fi bandwidth issues. Lack of rapport. Inadequate technical skills. Poor hand-motor skills.
12	Handa et al., 2021 [43]	North India	Analyse patient-physician experience and acceptance of teledermatology	Cohort study	Dermatology patients Dermatologists	n = 6125 n = 34	The diagnosis was ascertained online in 93.45% of cases. 62% of acne patients reported being satisfied or very satisfied.	High satisfaction among new and follow-up patients	Duplicate entries. Privacy concerns Connectivity issues. Patient technological inability. Lack of rapport.
13	Mishra et al., 2021 [44]	Haryana	Examine the feasibility of telemedicine-based diabetes education	Cohort study	Hospitalised diabetes patients with COVID-19	n = 100	Telemedicine was accepted and appreciated by 96.0% of patients.	Effective means to provide diabetes education	Lack of internet services. Difficulty following medical advice via telephone. Difficulty operating smartphones.
14	Nair et al., 2021 [45]	South India	Assess the satisfaction, feasibility and effectiveness of teleconsultation	Cross-sectional study	Persons with epilepsy	n = 141	Successful video consultations with no additional cost. Prescribed new drugs.	An acceptable and effective method to follow up on persons with epilepsy. Effectively conveyed medical advice.	Poor connectivity in rural areas. Lack of smartphones. Security and privacy concerns.
15	Ravindran et al., 2021 [46]	South India	Describe the teleconsultation experiences of patients during COVID-19 lockdown	Cross-sectional study	Ophthalmology patients	n = 621	Treatment and management of eye care diseases for both new and follow-up patients.	Ensure continuity of care during the lockdown. Save travel time. Avoid overcrowding.	Poor network connectivity. Medicolegal implications. Data privacy and confidentiality.
16	Sandhu et al., 2021 [47]	North India	Discuss the telemedicine services available for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.	Cohort study	Rheumatoid arthritis patients	n = 74	New and follow-up care. Medical advice regarding prescription changes and related issues.	Use in future. Recommend to others. Saves waiting time at hospitals. Eliminates travel time. High patient satisfaction.	Language of clinicians. Unfamiliar technology. No personal phone. Poor network connectivity. Lack of clarity of medical advice. Lack of expertise.
17	Adhikari et al., 2021 [48]	India	Evaluate the feasibility of telemedicine-based palliative interventions.	Cohort study	Advanced stage Cancer Patients	n = 547	Follow-up care. Evaluation of treatment response. Prognostication.	High patient satisfaction. Chronic pain assessment and symptomatic supportive care.	Voice/video quality. Advice clarity. Language.
18	Ullas et al., 2021 [49]	South India	Investigate the adoption rates and perception of telemedicine.	Cross-sectional study	Patients with non-communicable diseases.	n = 220	New and routine follow-up care for non-communicable diseases	Comfortable to use. An adequate surrogate for in-person consultations.	Difficult to get an appointment with a regular doctor or obtain medicine on time. Data privacy risk. Technological unfamiliarity. Limited connectivity.
19	Raheja et al., 2021 [50]	India	Evaluate the current telemedicine practice gaps and address them for future consultations.	Cross-sectional study	Neurosurgical patients who used telemedicine facility	n = 231	97% of patients reported telemedicine in neurosurgery as beneficial.	Less travel expenditure. Reduced time and resources.	Poor network. Lack of physical examination. Reduced communication/discussion. Misinterpretation of prescription.