medwireNews: EULAR has put forward “points to consider” that aim to guide the integration of telehealth into rheumatology clinical practice.
Discussing the need for this guidance, the authors say that “[r]emote care and telehealth have the potential to expand healthcare access, and the COVID-19 pandemic has called for alternative solutions to conventional face-to-face follow-up and monitoring,” but more information is needed on “how telehealth should be integrated into routine clinical care.”
On the basis of a systemic literature review and expert discussion, Annette de Thurah (Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark) and co-authors developed four overarching principles. These recommend that patient-tailored care combining both remote and face-to-face consultations should be based on shared decision-making, and that remote care can be delivered by all members of the healthcare team using a variety of techniques, with adequate equipment and training provided.
The team also outlines nine more specific points to consider that cover several aspects of care, including screening for rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD), monitoring disease activity, modification of medication, and nonpharmacologic treatment.
“These points to consider can be used to tailor telehealth to needs and preferences of people with RMD,” write de Thurah et al in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
medwireNews is an independent medical news service provided by Springer Healthcare Ltd. © 2022 Springer Healthcare Ltd, part of the Springer Nature Group
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