Changes in Perceptions and Use of Mobile Technology and Health Communication in South Africa During the COVID-19 Lockdown: Cross-sectional Survey Study

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

OBJECTIVE

Recently, the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has led to an increase in the use of telehealth technology. It seems that the application of this technology in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been limited, and few studies have been undertaken to review the current state of knowledge in this area. The aim of the present study was to explore the utilization of telehealth to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in LMICs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This scoping review was conducted in 2022. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, IEEE Xplore, and ProQuest were searched, and all quantitative research, qualitative studies, case reports, and case studies related to the use of telehealth to manage Covid-19 in LMICs and published since 2020 were included in the study. The findings were analyzed and reported narratively.

RESULTS

In total, 18 articles were included in the research. These studies were conducted in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and East Asia and Oceania. Telehealth interventions included teleconsultation, telecoaching, teledermatology, televisit, mhealth applications, telerehabilitation, telepharmacy, and telepsychiatry. WhatsApp was the most common way for service delivery and in most studies, patients and health care providers were satisfied with services.

CONCLUSION

Although the use of telehealth interventions was limited in LMICs during the Covid-19 pandemic, in most cases, it was an effective solution to combat the outbreak of Covid-19 and had positive outcomes. A comparison between the characteristics and clinical effectiveness of similar interventions in different countries including LMICs are worth investigation in the future studies.

Virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa: a systematic review

Aims

To identify virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed in South Africa during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the challenges associated with their use.

Methods

To determine the status of digital health utilization during COVID-19 in South Africa, the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses model was used to perform a systematic and in-depth critical analysis of previously published studies in well-known and trusted online electronic databases using specific search keywords words that are relevant to this study. We selected published peer-reviewed articles available from the onset of COVID-19 to July 2021.

Results

Total of 24 articles were included into this study. This study revealed that South Africa adopted digital technologies such as SMS-based solutions, mobile health applications, telemedicine and telehealth, WhatsApp-based systems, artificial intelligence and chatbots and robotics to provide healthcare services during COVID-19 pandemic. These innovative technologies have been used for various purposes including screening infectious and non-infectious diseases, disease surveillance and monitoring, medication and treatment compliance, creating awareness and communication. The study also revealed that teleconsultation and e-prescription, telelaboratory and telepharmacy, teleeducation and teletraining, teledermatology, teleradiology, telecardiology, teleophthalmology, teleneurology, telerehabilitation, teleoncology and telepsychiatry are among virtual healthcare services delivered through digital health technologies during COVID-19 in South Africa. However, these smart digital health technologies face several impediments such as infrastructural and technological barriers, organization and financial barriers, policy and regulatory barriers as well as cultural barriers.

Conclusion

Although COVID-19 has invigorated the use of digital health technologies, there are still some shortcomings. The outbreak of pandemics like COVID-19 in the future is not inevitable. Therefore, we recommend increasing community networks in rural areas to bridge the digital divide and the modification of mHealth policy to advocate for the effective use of innovative technologies in healthcare and the development of sustainable strategies for resources mobilization through private-public partnerships as well as joining available international initiatives advocating for smart digital health.

COVID-19 Daily Realities for Families: A South African Sample

The COVID-19 pandemic affected families globally. Empirical research has been explored to understand the impact of COVID-19 on families across countries, however, there are limited findings of how COVID-19 has affected the daily realities of families in South Africa. This study used an exploratory qualitative research approach to explore the experiences of COVID-19 for South African families. Findings suggest that the negative outcomes of COVID-19 experienced by South African families included a shift in the daily routines, restrictions on family events, lack of socialization and loss of connections, family conflicts, financial constraints as well as psychological impacts. On the contrary, the positive outcomes included increased family time and communication, cleanliness, and good health status, and improved financial management. Implications for future research should include research focused on the health impacts of COVID-19 on diverse family structures, family compositions, and family dynamics. In-depth research and findings can assist in developing policies and interventions for families.