Sixty-eight studies were included in the review (average number of participants 439, range 13 to 4,598). Fifty-one studies used randomisation at the patient level. Five studies used cluster randomisation. Seven studies allocated patients based on patient residence or decision of the physician. Five studies used matched controls.
No studies reported negative results.
Diagnostic group:
Cardiovascular disease (33 studies). Twenty studies reported positive results, seven studies reported similar results and six studies reported positive and similar results for different endpoints.
Diabetes (16 studies). Eleven studies reported positive results, four studies reported similar results and one study reported mixed results.
Chronic renal failure (two studies) and nervous system disorders (two studies) reported only positive results. Respiratory diseases (four studies), cancer (three studies), musculoskeletal diseases (two studies) and multi-morbidity (two studies) reported positive, similar or mixed results.
Outcomes:
Twenty-four out of 50 studies (48%) of medical outcomes reported positive results and two reported mixed results.
Nineteen out of 23 studies (83%) of behavioural outcomes reported positive results and three showed mixed results.
Five out of 13 studies (38%) of quality of life showed significant improvement in the telemedicine group compared to the control group.
Outcomes for satisfaction, burden, and perceptions were reported.