Pediatric Hospital–Based Postdischarge Telemedicine Follow-Up Programs: A Scoping Review

CONTEXT: Children discharged from the inpatient setting are at risk for postdischarge health issues. Postdischarge telemedicine follow-up programs (health care visits conducted via phone or video) might address these issues, but their focus, structure, and outcomes have not been collectively studied. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a scoping review reporting on hospital-based postdischarge telemedicine follow-up program design, evaluation, and ability to address postdischarge issues and unplanned health care reutilization. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, preprints, and gray literature were systematically searched. STUDY SELECTION: Articles in English that investigated hospital-based postdischarge telemedicine programs for pediatric patients younger than 22 years, not part of a bundle, were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Data on program and study characteristics and outcomes were extracted and synthesized. RESULTS: Of 3407 unique studies identified, 17 were included. Most programs (n = 13, 76%) used phone call follow-up rather than video, and most (n = 13, 76%) follow-up occurred within 4 days. Prevalence of postdischarge issues identified ranged from 2.9% to 85% (median 23.8%, IQR 18.6%, 64.3%), predominantly related to appointments, medications, and clinical concerns. One phone call follow-up observational study showed a reduction in 14-day emergency department (ED) reutilization, but no other studies found reductions in 7-, 14-, or 30-day ED revisit or readmission rates. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review found that hospital-based postdischarge telemedicine follow-up programs are acceptable to families and successfully identify wide-ranging postdischarge issues that affect patient safety. However, evidence to date does not demonstrate an effect on reducing health care reutilization.