Studies on drivers and barriers of remote care implementation in RMDs (PICO 3)
| Study | Study design | Participants | Overall aim | N° | Participants caracteristics* | Remote care—drivers | Remote care—barriers | RoB† |
| Bullock et al46 | Cross-sectional | Parents/Guardians of patients with RMDs | Survey to assess barriers to care and alternative models of care | 159 | – | Fewer missing days of school/work, less travel time/distance, easier appointment availability, less need for lodging, lower costs | Insurance approvals, inadequate knowledge about telemedicine | NA |
| Dejaco et al47 | Cross-sectional | Professionals working in the field of rheumatology in EULAR countries | Survey to assess impact of COVID-19 measures on rheumatology care | 1286 | 75% rheumatologists 11% rheumatologists in training 13% HCPs in rheumatology | Cancellation or postponement of non-urgent tests/appointments either by the service provider or by patients themselves, treatment decisions being postponed | – | NA |
| Ferucci et al48 | Prospective cohort | Patients with RA | Assess outcomes (RAPID-3, functional status, etc) after the start of telemedicine care | 122 | Age: 52.2 y Female: 83% Last FU: 12 mo | Previous use of telemedicine by patients and rheumatologists, use of video calls | Inexperience in telemedicine, technical issues | ROBINS-I: serious |
| Ferwerda et al49 | Cross-sectional | Patients with RA | Telephone interview about advantages and disadvantages of internet-based CBT | 50 | Age: 54.4 y Female: 50% | Less travelling time, lower costs, flexibility of time and place, no waiting times, potential ease of seeking help via internet, anonymity | Limitation on provider choice, lack of F2F contact, inexperience with telemedicine, data security issues, increased time spend at the computer, more self-discipline might be necessary | NA |
| Lawford et al52 | Cross-sectional | Patients with hip and/or knee OA | Survey to investigate the perceptions of patients on remote delivery of exercise therapy | 330 | Age: 62 y Female: 78% | Saved time, ease to use, maintaining privacy, use of video calls rather than phone calls | Lack of physical contact | NA |
| Lawford et al53 | Cross-sectional | Therapists | Survey to investigate the perceptions of therapists on remote delivery of exercise therapy | 217 | Age: 15 y clinical experience Female: 72% | Saved patient’s time, convenient for patients, good privacy | Inexperience in telemedicine, technical issues, lack of confidence | NA |
| Magnol et al54 | Cross-sectional | Patients with RA | Questionnaire on eHealth use (eg, internet, mobile apps, connected devices) | 575 | Age: 62 y Female: 78% | Membership in a patient association, and education programme, ease to use, data security | Inadequate use of technology | NA |
| Opinc et al57 | Cross-sectional | Patients/Caregivers with RMDs | Survey on teleconsultation during the COVID-19 pandemic | 244 | Age: 41 y Female: 93% | Direct contact to the physician via email | Lack of possibility to perform additional tests and physical exam; inexperience in telemedicine | NA |
| Barber et al45 | Qualitative | Primary care physician and patient researchers with OA | Interview on views on OA and an app for patient self-management | 9 | – | Improved understanding and communication on disease | Technical issues | NA |
| Hinman et al50 | Qualitative | Physical therapists, Patients with OA | Interview on the experience of receiving/giving physical therapy exercises via teleconference | 12 | – | Ease to use, time efficient, flexible, empowerment to self-management; improved therapeutic relationships and patient benefits | Lack of clinical examination | NA |
| Knudsen et al51 | Qualitative | Patients with RA | Interview on the experience of a patient-reported outcome-based telehealth follow-up | 15 | – | Flexible and resource-saving, improved knowledge of RA, increased communication | Difficult to accommodate to different needs, wishes and abilities of patients | NA |
| Mathijssen et al55 | Qualitative | Patients with RA | Transcript of audio recordings regarding support for medication use and suitability of eHealth technologies | 28 | – | Improved information, practical and emotional support | Lack of personal interaction, privacy and security issues, quality and reliability information | NA |
| Navarro-Millán et al56 | Qualitative | Patients with RA | Transcript of audio recodrings regarding the recording of between visit disease activity and other patient-reported outcomes and on sharing the information with the healthcare provider | 31 | – | Improved communication, information and social peer support | Technical issues, data collection | NA |
*Age/Female ratio was calculated by the sum of age (mean or median) or female ratio (%) of intervention and control groups, respectively and divided by the number of groups, unless reported otherwise.
†Overall RoB is reported according to the ROBINS-I tool (low, moderate, serious RoB). Cross-sectional and qualitative studies were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal checklists which do not determine an overall RoB (therefore reported as ‘NA’).
CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; F2F, face-to-face; FU, follow-up; mo, months; NA, not available; OA, osteoarthritis; RA, rheumatoid arthritis; RAPID-3, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3; RMDs, rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases; RoB, risk of bias; ROBINS-I, risk-of-bias tool for non-randomised studies of interventions; y, years.