Utilization of telehealth to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in low and middle income countries: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Review question / Objective: How was telehealth utilized to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in low and middle income countries? Rationale: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often experienced significant challenges in providing telehealth interventions due to limited resources and technology. A review of the literature shows that a small number of LMICs changed their management strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic and moved towards using telehealth. There is a lack of evidence about the practical implementation of telehealth in LMICs. As a result, the present study aimed to review the utilization of telehealth to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries focusing on implementations. In this study, how to implement telehealth in LMICs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including telehealth platforms used, the impact, pros and barriers encountered in implementation and adoption of telehealth interventions, are reviewed. The implementation of telehealth systems in different LMICs may pose both similar and different challenges. The lessons learned from this study can be useful for improving implementation of digital health interventions including LMICs in different countries.