Emerging role of telemedicine in perioperative anaesthesia and pain management

Abstract

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant alterations in our traditional healthcare system. The use of technologies such as telemedicine has seen a rapid upsurge. Though the benefits of telemedicine are well-documented; its use in anaesthesia is still in the nascent stage. Various authors have successfully demonstrated its application in perioperative anaesthesia and chronic pain. The ongoing pandemic has highlighted the importance of its more widespread use in anaesthesia. The establishment of clear guidelines addressing telemedicine and its legal and ethical concerns by many countries should provide a further impetus to its more frequent adoption. This article aims to review the existing literature about the use of telemedicine in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases of anaesthesia as well as in chronic pain and academics. As the pandemic abates, it presents a unique opportunity to expand the application of telemedicine in the various spheres of anaesthesia and pain.