TELEMEDICINE VS. IN-PERSON CARE IN MANAGING CHRONIC DISEASES – A META-ANALYSIS OF TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN DIGITAL HEALTHCARE SETTINGS

Background: Chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart failure require consistent and long-term management. In low-resource settings like Pakistan, telemedicine has emerged as a potential solution to bridge healthcare access gaps, yet comparative evidence with in-person care remains limited. Objective: To evaluate treatment outcomes in telemedicine versus in-person care for managing chronic diseases in digital healthcare settings in Pakistan. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted over eight months involving 1,240 participants equally distributed between telemedicine and in-person care groups. Studies were included based on standardized criteria focusing on adults with chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, and inflammatory bowel disease. Data were extracted and analyzed using RevMan 5.4 and SPSS 27. Outcomes assessed included blood pressure, glycemic control, quality of life (EQ-5D), and patient satisfaction. Parametric statistical tests were applied, assuming normally distributed data. Results: Telemedicine significantly reduced mean systolic (129.2 ± 7.3 mmHg) and diastolic (79.5 ± 5.8 mmHg) blood pressure compared to in-person care (132.8 ± 6.9 mmHg and 82.1 ± 5.6 mmHg, respectively; p<0.01). Glycemic outcomes were also better in the telemedicine group, with lower fasting glucose (6.8 ± 1.1 mmol/L) and HbA1c (6.5 ± 0.8%) than in-person care (7.3 ± 1.3 mmol/L and 7.1 ± 0.9%, respectively; p<0.01). Quality of life scores and satisfaction rates were higher in the telemedicine cohort (p<0.05). Conclusion: Telemedicine demonstrated superior or comparable outcomes to in-person care in managing chronic diseases, supporting its integration into routine healthcare delivery in underserved settings.