The Impact of Virtual Consultations on Quality of Care in Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis Protocol

Reham Aldakhil, Elena Lammila-Escalera, Benedict Wj Hayhoe, Azeem Majeed, Geva Greenfield, Ana Luísa Neves

Keywords: Virtual Consultation, Telemedicine, Type 2 diabetes, Systematic Review, remote consultation, care quality.

Background:

Over 90% of people globally have type 2 diabetes (T2D). By 2045, projections indicate an expected increase to 700 million. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital health uptake, establishing virtual consultations as a feasible alternative to traditional in-person care. Despite promising preliminary evidence, comprehensive review is needed to fully assess the impact of virtual consultations on diabetes care. This review aims to systematically evaluate the impact of remote consultations on the quality of care provided to persons with T2D, by mapping impacts against the six quality domains outlined by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) (i.e., patient-centeredness, effectiveness, efficiency, timeliness, equity, and safety). The review will identify the research gap within the virtual care, thereby directing future inquiries and contributing to the evidence base of virtual care models, particularly in the influence of remote technological advances. The findings of this review will contribute to better understanding of the role of virtual consultations play in managing long term and prevalent condition like T2D.

Research questions:

What is the impact of virtual consultations on quality of care in type 2 diabetes?

Method:

PubMed/MEDLINE, COCHRANE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science will be searched for studies published between 2010 and 2023. Primary outcomes will include any quality measures pertaining to the NAM domains for adult patients accessing virtual consultations. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies – of Interventions (ROBINS-I) will be used to assess the quality of the included studies. The findings will be summarised as a narrative synthesis.

Results:

Conclusions:

Points for discussion:

The review will identify the research gap within the virtual care, thereby directing future inquiries and contributing to the evidence base of virtual care models, particularly in the influence of remote technological advances. The findings of this review will contribute to better understanding of the role of virtual consultations play in managing long term and prevalent condition like T2D.

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