• ANKIT SHARMA
• Dr. Pavankumar Mulgund

Purpose: The outbreak of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern. Telehealth is an effective option to fight the outbreak of COVID-19. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the role of telehealth services in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and controlling diseases during COVID-19 outbreak. In a World constantly challenged by the epidemics, health of every individual should be taken care of. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis of historic proportions. The health providers, caregivers and working staff are most vulnerable to the infections amid widespread of any contagious disease. The minimization of human-to-human interactions to prevent exposure to the virus is paving the way for emerging technologies. Social distancing is prompting organizations to embrace video conferencing, virtual classrooms and telemedicine at an unprecedented scale. The current crop of emerging technologies is no different; they are being put to the test in fighting COVID-19. Since these technologies will generate efficiency gains, organizations may retain them beyond the crisis. The discontinuities of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic create urgent new needs and new, large healthcare customer problems to solve — a huge innovation opportunity. The coronavirus is now a global crisis and it has impacted the healthcare system. Its advice, that patients who are not significantly ill should not go to a physician's office, clinic, or hospital. Still, patients continue to have needs, and chronic diseases must be managed. The outbreak has generated an enormous possibility related to the use of telemedicine, which offers a unique capacity for remote screening and treatment, and can be a powerful tool for reducing transmission of the disease. Telemedicine has proved to be a breakthrough technology in dealing the crisis of the epidemics. Telemedicine delivers care to the individuals by eradicating the risks of cross-contamination of the disease to the health care providers and patients by handling many routine tasks and visits for chronic disease management over the internet. The effective coordination between the hospitals and the government can help in monitoring the spread of the epidemics and controlling its spread. Telemedicine has been an effective tool in collecting the clinical records to enable real time data exchange. The technology was utilized in previous epidemic outbreaks like Influenza, Ebola Virus Disease and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Similarly, it is effectively redesigning the healthcare systems in the novel Corona virus 2019 scenario. The health care industry has been evolving and incorporating the remote diagnosis and assessment techniques to minimize the exposure during the Corona Virus pandemic. Training and awareness regarding the platforms have helped to promote the technology usage. Despite of the challenges that the health industry encounters in embedding the telemedicine, it has found its success due to its numerous benefits. Various reinventions have been made to the architectures of the telemedicine to globally connect the people in the critical situations. This has led to the enhanced implementations in the telemedicine activities. Effective operational plan, dedicated research and surveillance can help in utilizing the utmost benefits of the technology. Integrating the telemedicine should be encouraged by all the stakeholders in the healthcare industry. Telemedicine benefits will stretch long beyond our current coronavirus crisis. It will prevent the spread of disease now and may also solve many other "system" problems in medicine going forward. This research article discusses an overview of telemedicine, it’s role in epidemics and its potential benefits which would prepare the industry that will support the World for the future outbreaks and crises situations. Methods: This systematic review was conducted through 42 Scientific databases and digital libraries including JMIR, JAMIA, Springer, BJA, ELSEVIER, Wiley, SAGE etc. Inclusion criteria included studies clearly defining any use of telehealth services in all aspects of health care during COVID-19 outbreak, published in in peer reviewed journals in 2020 and in English language. Two reviewers independently assessed search results, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Results: Studies met the inclusion out of the 78 search results. Currently, healthcare providers and patients who are self-isolating, telehealth is certainly appropriate in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This solution has the potential to prevent any sort of direct physical contact, provide continuous care to the community, and finally reduce morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: The use of telehealth improves the provision of health services. Therefore, telehealth should be an important tool in caring services while keeping patients and health providers safe during COVID-19 outbreak.

Telemedicine; telehealth; eHealth; mHealth; digital health; COVID-19; coronavirus; public health; technology interoperability

"Telemedicine: Potential solution in Epidemic situation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 11, page no.d387-d402, November-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2511343.pdf

"Telemedicine: Potential solution in Epidemic situation", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 11, page no. ppd387-d402, November-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2511343.pdf