The Role of Telemedicine in Type 1 Diabetes Children during COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic determined a profound impact on the routine follow-up of type 1 diabetes (T1D) children. Telemedicine represents a critical tool to guarantee regular care for these patients in this form. AIM: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of telemedicine programs during the COVID-19 pandemic era on T1D children. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Studies from PubMed, Cochrane, and Directory of Open Access Journals from December 2021, to February 18, 2022, were conducted to calculate the pooled mean difference using either a random or fixed-effect model in Review Manager version 5.3. Our study has applied to ensure that our procedures, including record collection, extraction of data, quality evaluation, and statistical analysis, adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Examination and Meta-Analysis guidelines. RESULTS: Three articles relevant to the current study (436 children). Our pooled analysis found that there was an impact of telemedicine in reducing the HbA1c (mean diff: 5.64 [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.71–7.57], p < 0.00001). However, the physical activity was not affected by the telemedicine program (mean diff: −37.25 [95% CI −317.53–243.02], p = 0.79). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that telemedicine has a role in T1D children controlling HbA1c during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, telehealth has emerged as a promising alternate mode of health-care delivery. Its utility during the pandemic warrants further investigation.