Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Objective

Telemedicine and telementoring have had a significant boost across all medical and surgical specialties over the last decade and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this scoping review is to synthesize the current use of telemedicine and telementoring in otorhinolaryngology and head and neck surgery.

Data Sources

PubMed and Cochrane Library.

Review Methods

A scoping review search was conducted, which identified 469 articles. Following full-text screening by 2 researchers, 173 articles were eligible for inclusion and further categorized via relevant subdomains.

Conclusions

Virtual encounters and telementoring are the 2 main applications of telemedicine in otolaryngology. These applications can be classified into 7 subdomains. Different ear, nose, and throat subspecialties utilized certain telemedicine applications more than others; for example, almost all articles on patient engagement tools are rhinology based. Overall, telemedicine is feasible, showing similar concordance when compared with traditional methods; it is also cost-effective, with high patient and provider satisfaction.

Implications for Practice

Telemedicine in otorhinolaryngology has been widely employed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has a huge potential, especially with regard to its distributing quality care to rural areas. However, it is important to note that with current exponential use, it is equally crucial to ensure security and privacy and integrate HIPAA-compliant systems (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in the big data era. It is expected that many more applications developed during the pandemic are here to stay and will be refined in years to come.

Keywords

telemedicine telehealth rhinology otolaryngology otology audiology laryngology

Telemedicine is not a novel concept and has long been utilized across medical specialties, since the development of information and communication technologies (ICT), which are defined as “digital technologies that facilitate the electronic capture, processing, storage, and exchange of information.”¹ The World Health Organization has adopted the following broad description of telemedicine, having recognized that there is not a single definitive definition: “the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation, and for the continuing education of health care providers, all in the interests of advancing the health of individuals and their communities.”² Modern telemedicine approaches often encompass algorithms to aid in diagnosis and treatment. These approaches have paved the way toward the application of artificial intelligence and other exciting developments.

Importantly, telemedicine has had a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, and otolaryngology is considered one of the highest-risk health care specialties with regard to exposure of staff and contraction and spread of SARS-CoV-2. Many endoscopic examinations and surgical procedures in otolaryngology are considered aerosol generating,³ with an increased risk of viral transmission. Expansion of technology-centered remote delivery of care, where feasible and safe, has never been more needed than now. Hence, telemedicine has been in the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, as utilizing the various forms of ICT has become an important way of providing health care from a distance, especially for high-risk patient groups seeking to minimize unnecessary exposures.

Regardless of the current trend that has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, its development in the specialty of otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery has been slow: it was first described in 1994,⁴ with the number of publications increasing steadily over the years.

With this in mind, we aim to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the various applications of telemedicine in otorhinolaryngology–head and neck surgery. However, due to the broad nature of the question and the fact that the quality of published data is limited and heterogenous, a systematic review could not be performed; hence, a scoping review was conducted.

Materials and Methods

For methodology, we followed the PRISMA-ScR checklist⁵ (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews).

Information Sources and Search Strategy

Articles were searched in the PubMed database with the following thread of keywords:

(telemed* [tw] OR telehealth [tw] OR “tele-medicine”[tw] OR “tele-health” [tw] OR “e-consult” [tw] OR “e-consultation” [tw] OR econsult* [tw] OR telediagnos* [tw] OR “tele-diagnostics” [tw] OR telemedicine [mesh] OR “video consult” [tw] OR “video consultation” [tw] OR “Video consultations” [tw] OR “Video visit” [tw] OR “video visits” [tw] OR “tele mentoring” [tw] OR telementor* [tw] OR ((mentor* [ti] OR mentoring [mesh]) AND (telemed* [ti] OR “telemedicine” [mesh]))) AND (“Otolaryngology” [Mesh] OR “Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures” [Mesh] OR “Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases”[Mesh] OR “Otologic Surgical Procedures”[Mesh] OR “Nasal Surgical Procedures”[Mesh] OR “Audiology”[Mesh] OR ent [ti] OR otolaryngolo* [ti] OR sinus* [ti] OR rhinolog* [ti]) AND English [lang] NOT (“animals” [mesh] NOT “humans” [mesh]).

Articles were also searched in the Cochrane Library databases with the following thread of keywords: telemedicine AND ENT; telemedicine AND otolaryngology; telehealth AND ENT; telehealth AND otolaryngology. The date of the last search was December 15, 2020.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria were peer-reviewed studies that described the application of telemedicine in the otolaryngology specialty. Due to the scarcity of available literature, no restrictions were set on patient demographics and study design; thus, case reports were also included. Research articles that did not describe the application of telemedicine in the field of otolaryngology were excluded. Reviews, editorials, commentaries, and all other nonresearch trial articles on telemedicine in otolaryngology were excluded.

Selection of Sources of Evidence

Search results from databases were downloaded and uploaded to Covidence, an online organizer platform where duplicates were removed. Using the eligibility criteria, 2 reviewers (A.Y. and D.K.) independently screened the titles and abstracts of all included articles. For full-text screening, the 2 reviewers independently screened the articles, and conflicts were resolved by discussion. The final full-text screened cohort was confirmed with a third reviewer (M.L.).

Data Extraction

Eligible full-text articles were read independently by the 2 reviewers to extract information regarding year published, study design, subspecialty, type of telemedicine, disease of focus diagnosis/prognosis, participant number/sample size, and outcomes. Level of evidence was determined by study design (1, randomized controlled study; 2, prospective cohort study, controlled study; 3, retrospective controlled study; 4, case report, case series).

Results

The search yielded 469 results, and after removal of duplicates, 461 were eligible for initial screening. All titles and abstracts were screened. An overall 408 articles were eligible for full-text screening. A total of 235 articles were excluded as they did not fit the inclusion criteria: article type was not original research; article did not focus on application of telemedicine in otolaryngology; or there was no full text available or no access. Full-text review was performed on the remaining 173 articles, and data were extracted ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1.

Search strategy flowchart.

Of all studies that fit the inclusion criteria, 18 focused on rhinology or skull base surgery, 33 on laryngology/head and neck surgery, 35 on comprehensive otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, 85 on otology or audiology subspecialty, 1 on maxillofacial surgery, and 1 on multiple subspecialties. In general, there has been a significant increase in the annual number of articles published on telemedicine in otolaryngology overall and for subspecialties ( Figure 2 ).

Figure 2.

Trend in number of publications. OHNS, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.

For ease of review, we classified the articles per the approach used for telemedicine.

Virtual Encounters

A total of 164 articles were identified. Virtual encounters (VEs) were defined as consultations held by telephone- or video-based platforms (with real-time audio and/or visual communication with minimal latency) and store-and-forward telepractice services. These commonly included clinical assessments with the patients presenting to an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist while connected from a remote site, and they encompass tele-screening, tele-rehabilitation, and postoperative follow-up via patient engagement tools. Applications of VE were classified into 5 subdomains: patient-physician interaction (Supplemental Table 1a and 1b, available online), physician-physician interaction (Supplemental Tables S2a and S2b), patient engagement tools (Supplemental Tables S3a and S3b), tele-screening (Supplemental Tables S4a and S4b), and tele-rehabilitation (Supplemental Table S5a and S5b). Most studies focused on feasibility^6-75 or investigated concordance rates^4,76-151 between ≥2 cohorts, while a few examined the cost savings.^152-154

Physician-Patient Interaction

Prior to COVID-19, studies and case reports demonstrated the feasibility of remote tele-visits^15,16,23,70 and sufficiency in providing patients with preliminary diagnoses, reducing referral wait time, allowing for postoperative tele-follow-up visits, or preventing unnecessary in-person otolaryngology visits.^{7,8,11,13,68,155}

A major theme identified was antibiotic prescription patterns in the course of tele-management. For treatment of sinusitis, feasibility of VE was supported in literature,^14,83-85 but results on prescription patterns were contradicting. Some studies reported that physicians were more likely to prescribe antibiotics during tele-visits as compared with face-to-face (FTF) visits,⁸³ while others noted the opposite.^84,85 One study found no significant difference among methods of visit in adherence to antibiotic prescription guidelines.¹⁵⁰ For management of acute respiratory tract infections, a group of researchers noted that patient satisfaction was highest in those who had an antibiotic and corticosteroid prescribed during the tele-visit.⁶⁷

A few studies focused on remote cochlear implant (CI) management, and feasibility was supported,^18-20,97 as patients with CIs or hearing aids can use tele-visits to undergo pure tone audiometry (PTA), tympanometry, and speech tests. Remote programming of CI is also possible, and when compared with CI programmed in-person, there was no significant difference in patients’ performance at 3 months according a group of researchers.¹⁵¹ Patient satisfaction for the telemedicine experience was high.^21-23,73,151 However, as expected, performance of audiology or speech tests was suggested to be better in a sound-treated booth.^28,96 For PTA conducted in a non–sound-treated booth, results were promising,^110,111 and others reported the test and retest thresholds between remote and in-person testing to be similar.^112,113 With regard to concordance rates, results were contradicting. Threshold differences of PTA conducted in remote sound booths were clinically acceptable and equivalent to in-person testing,^102-108 although 1 study found more errors generated when the personal computer–based audiometer was used in a telemedicine setup as compared with in-person appointment settings.¹⁰⁹

Most studies showed acceptable to high agreement between diagnosis made via telemedicine and that made through FTF encounters,^{76-79,82,86-92,122} yet 2 noted disconcordance.^80,81 Common concerns for this discrepancy were with regard to image/recording quality of the physical examination.^6,8,29,156 A higher percentage of video otoscopy recording taken by nonphysicians was lower quality and unusable than that taken by physicians.^{17,89,121,124} In a pediatric study, this was shown to improve upon appropriate training of parents on how to use an otoscope.²⁶ In contrast, usefulness of endoscopic videos taken by health care personnel can be limited.^{25,118,148,149}

Nonetheless, when VEs were utilized for CI management, studies demonstrated no significant differences in performance of CIs, session duration, neural responses, electrode-specific measure, and threshold and comfort levels^{18,93-101,123} as compared with those managed in person. When VE was used for dysphagia evaluations, results suggested that remote evaluation yielded substantial levels of agreement for treatment recommendations and subjective severity ratings as compared with traditional FTF evaluations,^114-117 with comparable efficacy. According to cost-efficiency analysis, tele-visits are more cost-efficient than in-person appointments.⁸⁶ At an institution level, the cost reduction was achieved after the number of tele-visits surpassed the threshold to pay off the fixed costs from the initial technology installment; for example, in 1 study this was reported at a threshold of 35 patients per year.^11,152,153

During COVID-19, there has been a surge in literature describing the implementation and efficacy of the tele-clinic,^155-168 especially when compared with a similar period prior to the pandemic.^157,162 Some studies reported no-shows to be more frequent when the tele-visit was utilized,¹⁵⁸ while others noted attendance to increase.^160,168 Some reported reasons for no-shows included technical issues^158,159 or patients declining it due to no direct physical examination.¹⁶⁵ While there are numerous studies investigating the efficacy of otoscopes for “at home” use, during the pandemic, only 1 case series reported the use of a commercially available otoscope by patients for telemedicine purposes.¹⁶⁷ Nonetheless, patient satisfaction with telehealth encounters was high or improved as compared with standard care after implementation of the tele-clinics.^161,164,166 Furthermore, studies showed that patients preferred continued use of tele-visits in addition to,^160,163 and in some studies even instead of,¹⁶¹ FTF office appointments.

Patient Engagement Tools

Various mobile- and internet-based platforms have been developed to facilitate patient engagement. Almost all articles except for 2 were published in the field of rhinology, which included management of allergy-related symptoms,^{30,31,69,125,126} patient-reported outcome measures tracking after sinonasal surgery,³² and remote nasal airflow evaluation.^33,34 Studies noted that mobile patient engagement tools aided with physician-patient communication efficacy,¹²⁵ helped diagnose allergies,³⁰ held advantages in improving adherence rate and average daily use of prescribed medications for patients with allergies,^31,69,126 allowed for remote nasal airflow evaluation,^33,34 and yielded high patient response rates when tracking patient-reported outcome measures.³² For nonrhinology articles, one group showed the feasibility of using an online consultation service to connect potential patients interested in maxillofacial surgery to physicians who answered inquiries.²⁷ Another study investigated the utility of a mobile instant messenger in the postoperative management of pediatric tonsillectomy and found this to improve compliance with at-home care instructions.⁶⁶

Physician-Physician Interaction

Twelve studies focused on tele-consultations, during which physicians remotely consulted another physician for better case management. Remote consultations among physicians were shown to be feasible and able to prevent unnecessary encounters for general otolaryngology outpatient clinics,^35,36 as well as more specialized audiologic management of CI cases.^37,38 ICT also allowed for remote observation and consultation for laryngeal intubation^39,40 and extubation.⁴¹

Results indicated that physician-physician tele-consultations had good interrater agreement for diagnostic indicators^127,128 and management recommendations¹²⁹ for patients with dysphagia. Virtual consultations among physicians also accurately predicted otologic surgery as compared with those from in-person appointments.¹³⁰ Two studies evaluated diagnostic accuracy for patients whose imaging was sent via ICT. The study population consisted of emergency ENT patients and pediatric patients with lateral neck x-rays. Results for both studies showed high accuracy.^4,131

Tele-screening

In tele-screening (ie, telemedicine for the purpose of screening), the 18 eligible articles mostly focused on the field of otology. Almost exclusively, technology was used for hearing screening. These were described in articles from America,^42,132 Australia,^43-47 Brazil,¹³³ Canada,⁴⁸ Germany,⁷¹ India,^74,134 Kenya,⁷² South Africa,^49-51,75 and Tajikistan.⁵² In general, results suggest feasibility. Tele-screening resulted in increased screening coverage, shortened referral waiting time, decreased outpatient and failure-to-attend appointments at tertiary centers from a remote community, and reduced costs.^{43-48,50,51,71} Testing and identification during tele-screening were also suggested to be reliable and comparable to in-person screening.^{42,52,132-134} In a rare study that investigated tele-screening in the adult population, it was found that an online screening test was feasible, but only a small portion of participants provided their contact information to proceed with a hearing evaluation and hearing aid trial.⁴⁹

Tele-rehabilitation

In tele-rehabilitation, the 27 articles were mainly in the field of otology, audiology, laryngology, or head and neck cancer. The feasibility and effectiveness of various online-delivered or software-based therapies were investigated (eg, acceptance and commitment, auditory-verbal, cognitive-behavioral, voice, speech, and swallow) to manage tinnitus, chronic vestibular syndromes, hearing loss, deafness,^{53-57,135-140} speech/voice pathology, and dysphagia.^{58-64,141-147,154} In articles focused in otology and audiology, tele-rehabilitation groups showed improvement in tinnitus severity,^53-57,136 vertigo severity,¹³⁷ and hearing aid problems,¹³⁸ with no significant difference in improvements from in-person therapy.^139,140 In articles concerned with the field of laryngology, tele-rehabilitation suggested cost-effectiveness¹⁵⁴ and improvements in vocal fold function, acoustic and physiologic parameters, nodule sizes, patient perceptions of voice-related quality of life,⁶¹ vocal self-evaluation skill,⁵⁸ and vocal pattern.⁵⁹ Comparable levels of agreement were achieved between online and FTF environments.^{60,141-143,145-147} Moreover, a higher adherence rate than that of patient-directed therapy⁶⁴ was found. Overall, patient and therapist satisfaction rates on tele-rehabilitation were also high.^{59,61-63,65,144}

Telementoring

Nine studies evaluated the concept of telementoring (ie, mentoring by means of telecommunication or computer networks). Detailed results are illustrated in Supplemental Tables S6a and S6b (available online). Overall, results are encouraging and certainly show the feasibility of this approach.¹⁶⁹ When in-person surgical guidance and telementoring endoscopic sinus surgery were compared, no significant differences in clinical outcomes were observed.^170,171 Yet, the authors recommend that only surgeons of a certain training level and experience be telementored intraoperatively when acting as the primary surgeon.^172,173 Telementoring procedures have also been described,^174,175 including intubation, laryngoscopy, otoscopy, and nasopharyngoscopy, and 1 study identified a $25,450 reduction in travel expenses after implementing a tele-clinic,¹⁷⁶ demonstrating the potential of significant financial savings. However, Melo et al found that only the in-person group showed a statistically significant difference in pre- and posttraining performances for the overall score and individual topic scores when compared with remotely trained community health workers for nonprocedural tasks.¹⁷⁷

Discussion

This scoping review of the literature provides an up-to-date summary of the current applications of telemedicine in otolaryngology and rhinology in particular, including the latest studies on the widespread use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.^155-168 We aim to discuss our results related to the various subdomains that we have identified to appreciate the extensive work that has been done in this field. Interestingly, subspecialties focused on different subdomains of telemedicine, as summarized in Figure 3 .

Figure 3.

Subdomains of telemedicine applied in each subspecialty. OHNS, otolaryngology–head and neck surgery.

VE is one of the oldest and most common applications of telemedicine in otolaryngology, and coincidentally, most articles in telemedicine focused on this and related strategies. When VE was compared with in-person appointments, results were promising,^{18,76-79,82,86-108,112-117,122,123,151} with only a few studies reporting discrepancies.^81,109,118 Most studies demonstrated moderate (κ = 0.41-0.60) to substantial (κ = 0.61-0.80) diagnostic agreement between VE and FTF evaluations.^{25,82,84,87,88,91,92,114-117,121,124,148-150,160} A major issue is the quality of the physical examination being conducted remotely, which obviously has a lot of limitations.^{6,8,17,25,28,29,89,96,121,124,156} However, VE has been found to expand health coverage, prevent unnecessary visits, and save travel costs.^{7,8,11,13-15,17,19,23,38,68,70,86,152-155} With the development of adaptors for mobile-based endoscopes, mobile/internet-based patient engagement platforms, and internet-based examination and analysis software, the applications of VE will be advanced.

The use of patient engagement tools was most widespread in rhinology, possibly because the subspecialty deals with the management of many common chronic conditions. Regardless of subspecialty, studies have shown that these tools can enhance diagnostic accuracy, management, and follow-up efficacy, as well as facilitate more efficient communication and improve adherence to medications.^{27,30-34,66,69,125,126} Tele-rehabilitation has been applied in most subspecialities. One study investigated the feasibility of providing therapy via a mobile app,⁵⁸ pointing toward the likely future applications of many tele-rehabilitation services. With the development of interactive smart tools and artificial intelligence, tele-rehabilitation in times ahead may not even require a therapist but deal with many common tasks via programmed branching logics and permutations.

Tele-screening has been applied for screening of otologic conditions, in particular the remote screening of hearing disorders, mainly in the pediatric population.^{42-48,50-52,71,72,132-134} It is another subset of telemedicine that has been increasingly incorporating automated algorithms to aid with its purposes. Results show great potential for tele-screening in rural communities with regard to the demonstrated testing reliability of remote hearing tests, cost-effectiveness, increase in the local screening rate, and efficient referral workflow. While tele-screening is still limited on the global level, this concept and the related technologies have a huge potential for more widespread use.

Tele-consultation has been utilized among providers within^36-40,130 and beyond^35,127-129 the confines of the country. It is also useful in connecting ENT providers with those from different specialties in emergency situations or when a complex case is encountered requiring multidisciplinary care,^4,41,131 underscoring its potential in the field of otorhinolaryngology.

Telementoring is another subdomain of telemedicine that we identified, and studies show that this can be an invaluable tool for the training. Surgical telementoring was mainly utilized and tested within the field of rhinology.^169-173 While studies show a positive experience, many identify the balance between high-quality video/audio transmission and reduction of lag time as a key challenge, but technological advances should easily overcome this in the years to come. It is intriguing to imagine that commercially available technologies, such as augmented or virtual reality, will be implemented in the use of surgical telementoring in ENT. Other technologies, such as Google glasses, allow for visualization of the entire operating room, which provides the mentor with the important aspect of situational awareness. Furthermore, with holistic projection of augmented or virtual reality via the glasses or on the screen, this may enhance the mentoring experience. While only a few articles reported the feasibility of tele-education in the field of otolaryngology so far,^174-177 this area of research shows great potential. One limitation is that surgical specialties, including ENT, require a high level of hands-on experience and FTF teaching for the initial period of surgical training. However, for training and mentoring the advanced surgical trainee, this concept represents an extremely useful adjunct in the education of the next generation of surgeons and physicians.

Taking all this into account, different subdomains of telemedicine have been assessed for different measurable outcomes. The most commonly investigated outcomes that we encountered during our analysis were feasibility, cost-efficiency, patient and/or physician satisfaction, waiting time, concordance between remote and local physicians, validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of telemedicine. Interestingly, we observed a wide range of mean ages of adult patients surveyed, from 20 to 66 years,^{12,21,23,61-63,70,73,76,79,156,166} and some studies also examined satisfaction among older patients. Moreover, various studies on the pediatric population reported parent satisfaction.^{26,42,48,65,95} On the whole, the majority of patients have been pleased with their telemedicine experience, especially with the reduced traveling costs. The introduction of new telemedicine platforms and familiarization with these technologies for other purposes in daily life will facilitate the encounters and certainly improve patient satisfaction.

While this review aims to provide a detailed overview of the current applications of telemedicine in otorhinolaryngology, there are limitations. Due to the broad nature of the question and the fact that the quality of published data is limited and heterogenous, a systematic review could not be performed; hence, a more limited review (ie, scoping review) was conducted.

While it appears that telemedicine has more advantages than disadvantages, this approach must continue to be critically appraised, and more rigorous research needs to be conducted and demonstrate patient benefit at high levels of evidence to allow for its widespread adoption. While telemedicine does reduce traveling costs for patients and provide outreach care for those in rural areas, the patient must be aware of and consent to many limitations. Moreover, patients may prefer FTF appointments as they can facilitate the encounter by building a better rapport between the patient and the physician. Certain aspects of the clinical evaluation, such as endoscopies, will yield more information if performed by an experienced health care provider FTF, rather than by patients themselves. Details lost in the transmission of audio and video data is also a problem, as the physician’s perception and understanding of the patient can be limited by the technical quality of the VE. Moreover, some patients may not have access to such technology. All examinations, as far as the VE allows, should be standardized for all examination and analysis devices that can be self-administered by patients at home. The active engagement of patients in familiarizing themselves with the newly devised systems is crucial to allow providers to make accurate diagnoses.

The telemedicine market has shown exponential growth in recent years, but at the same time it is important to ensure security and privacy for the patient by the use of HIPAA-compliant systems (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) that are integrated in the existing patient management software. This will allow for possible recording of parts of the examination and/or photodocumentation and will facilitate billing and coding. While telemedicine allows for easy access to care, licensing requirements need to be taken into account, in particular for patients who live in other states and who have never presented FTF in the state for which the physician’s license has been granted.

Implications for Practice

COVID-19 has brought telemedicine center stage, but many studies had already demonstrated the huge potential of this concept. From VE to tele-education, telementoring, and platform development to allow for self-examination and rehabilitation at home, telemedicine is here to stay and will be further developed in years to come.

Author Contributions

Angela Yang, design, data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation, drafting, revision; Dayoung Kim, design, data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation, drafting, revision; Peter H. Hwang, conception, design, data interpretation, revision, final approval; Matt Lechner, conception, design, data interpretation, revision, final approval

Disclosures

Competing interests: None.

Sponsorships: None.

Funding source: None.

Supplemental Material

sj-docx-1-opn-10.1177_2473974X211072791 – Supplemental material for Telemedicine and Telementoring in Rhinology, Otology, and Laryngology: A Scoping Review

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-opn-10.1177_2473974X211072791 for Telemedicine and Telementoring in Rhinology, Otology, and Laryngology: A Scoping Review by Angela Yang, Dayoung Kim, Peter H. Hwang and Matt Lechner in OTO Open: The Official Open Access Journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

We thank Christopher Stave, Lane Medical Library, Stanford University, for his invaluable help and guidance during the literature search and scoping review.

Supplemental Material

Additional supporting information is available at

References

Gagnon

M-P

Desmartis

Labrecque

, et al. Systematic review of factors influencing the adoption of information and communication technologies by healthcare professionals. J Med Syst. 2012;36(1):241-277. doi:10.1007/s10916-010-9473-4

World Health Organization, ed. Telemedicine: Opportunities and Developments in Member States—Report on the Second Global Survey on Ehealth. World Health Organization; 2010.

Mick

Murphy

. Aerosol-generating otolaryngology procedures and the need for enhanced PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic: a literature review. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;49(1):29. doi:10.1186/s40463-020-00424-7

Yamamoto

Inaba

DiMauro

. Personal computer teleradiology interhospital image transmission to facilitate tertiary pediatric telephone consultation and patient transfer: soft-tissue lateral neck and elbow radiographs. Pediatr Emerg Care. 1994;10(5):273-277. doi:10.1097/00006565-199410000-00007

Tricco

Lillie

Zarin

, et al. PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):467-473. doi:10.7326/M18-0850

Crump

Driscoll

. An application of telemedicine technology for otorhinolaryngology diagnosis. Laryngoscope. 1996;106(5, pt 1):595-598. doi:10.1097/00005537-199605000-00014

Hofstetter

Kokesh

Ferguson

Hood

. The impact of telehealth on wait time for ENT specialty care. Telemed J E Health. 2010;16(5):551-556. doi:10.1089/tmj.2009.0142

Haegen

Cupp

Hunsaker

. Teleotolaryngology: a retrospective review at a military tertiary treatment facility. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2004;130(5):511-518. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2004.01.010

Smith

Williams

Agnew

Sinclair

Youngberry

Wootton

. Realtime telemedicine for paediatric otolaryngology pre-admission screening. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11(suppl 2):S86-S89. doi:10.1258/135763305775124821

10.

Blakeslee

Grist

Stachura

Blakeslee

. Practice of otolaryngology via telemedicine. Laryngoscope. 1998;108(1, pt 1):1-7. doi:10.1097/00005537-199801000-00001

11.

Dorrian

Ferguson

Ah-See

, et al. Head and neck cancer assessment by flexible endoscopy and telemedicine. J Telemed Telecare. 2009;15(3):118-121. doi:10.1258/jtt.2009.003004

12.

Rimmer

Christopher

Falck

, et al. Telemedicine in otolaryngology outpatient setting—single center head and neck surgery experience. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(9):2072-2075. doi:10.1002/lary.27123

13.

Walijee

Sood

Markey

Krishnan

Lee

. Is nurse-led telephone follow-up for post-operative obstructive sleep apnoea patients effective? A prospective observational study at a paediatric tertiary centre. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;129:109766. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.109766

14.

Penza

Murray

Myers

Furst

Pecina

. Management of acute sinusitis via e-visit. Telemed J E Health. 2021;27(5):532-536. doi:10.1089/tmj.2020.0047

15.

Arriaga

Nuss

Scrantz

, et al. Telemedicine-assisted neurotology in post-Katrina Southeast Louisiana. Otol Neurotol. 2010;31(3):524-527. doi:10.1097/MAO.0b013e3181cdd69d

16.

Viirre

Warner

Balch

Nelson

. Remote medical consultation for vestibular disorders: technological solutions and case report. Telemed J. 1997;3(1):53-58. doi:10.1089/tmj.1.1997.3.53

17.

Ramkumar

Rajendran

Nagarajan

Balasubramaniyan

Suresh

. Identification and management of middle ear disorders in a rural cleft care program: a telemedicine approach. Am J Audiol. 2018;27(3S):455-461. doi:10.1044/2018_AJA-IMIA3-18-0015

18.

Slager

Jensen

Kozlowski

, et al. Remote programming of cochlear implants. Otol Neurotol. 2019;40(3):e260-e266. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000002119

19.

Shapiro

Huang

Shaw

Roland

JTJ

Lalwani

. Remote intraoperative monitoring during cochlear implant surgery is feasible and efficient. Otol Neurotol. 2008;29(4):495-498. doi:10.1097/MAO.0b013e3181692838

20.

Steuerwald

Windmill

Scott

Evans

Kramer

. Stories from the webcams: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center audiology telehealth and pediatric auditory device services. Am J Audiol. 2018;27(3S):391-402. doi:10.1044/2018_AJA-IMIA3-18-0010

21.

Kuzovkov

Yanov

Levin

, et al. Remote programming of MED-EL cochlear implants: users’ and professionals’ evaluation of the remote programming experience. Acta Otolaryngol. 2014;134(7):709-716. doi:10.3109/00016489.2014.892212

22.

Cullington

Kitterick

Weal

Margol-Gromada

. Feasibility of personalised remote long-term follow-up of people with cochlear implants: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2018;8(4):e019640. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019640

23.

Burns

Ward

Hill

Kularatna

Byrnes

Kenny

. Randomized controlled trial of a multisite speech pathology telepractice service providing swallowing and communication intervention to patients with head and neck cancer: evaluation of service outcomes. Head Neck. 2017;39(5):932-939. doi:10.1002/hed.24706

24.

Maurrasse

Schwanke

Tabaee

. Smartphone capture of flexible laryngoscopy: optics, subsite visualization, and patient satisfaction. Laryngoscope. 2019;129(9):2147-2152. doi:10.1002/lary.27803

25.

Demant

Jensen

Bhutta

Laier

Lous

Homøe

. Smartphone otoscopy by non-specialist health workers in rural Greenland: a cross-sectional study. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2019;126:109628. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.109628

26.

Erkkola-Anttinen

Irjala

Laine

Tähtinen

Löyttyniemi

Ruohola

. Smartphone otoscopy performed by parents. Telemed J E Health. 2019;25(6):477-484. doi:10.1089/tmj.2018.0062

27.

Brockes

Schenkel

Buehler

Grätz

Schmidt-Weitmann

. Medical online consultation service regarding maxillofacial surgery. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2012;40(7):626-630. doi:10.1016/j.jcms.2012.03.018

28.

Goehring

Hughes

Baudhuin

, et al. The effect of technology and testing environment on speech perception using telehealth with cochlear implant recipients. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2012;55(5):1373-1386. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2012/11-0358)

29.

Lundberg

Westman

Hellstrom

Sandstrom

. Digital imaging and telemedicine as a tool for studying inflammatory conditions in the middle ear—evaluation of image quality and agreement between examiners. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2008;72(1):73-79. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2007.09.015

30.

Bianchi

Tsilochristou

Gabrielli

Tripodi

Matricardi

. The smartphone: a novel diagnostic tool in pollen allergy? J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2016;26(3):204-207. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0060

31.

Costa

Menesatti

Brighetti

, et al. Pilot study on the short-term prediction of symptoms in children with hay fever monitored with e-health technology. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;46(6):216-225.

32.

Khanwalkar

Shen

Kern

, et al. Utilization of a novel interactive mobile health platform to evaluate functional outcomes and pain following septoplasty and functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2019;9(4):345-351. doi:10.1002/alr.22273

33.

Seren

. Web-based analysis of nasal sound spectra. Telemed J E Health. 2005;11(5):578-582. doi:10.1089/tmj.2005.11.578

34.

Choi

Park

I-H

Yoon

Lee

H-M

. Wireless patient monitoring system for patients with nasal obstruction. Telemed J E Health. 2011;17(1):46-49. doi:10.1089/tmj.2010.0105

35.

Kohlert

Murphy

Tse

Liddy

Afkham

Keely

. Improving access to otolaryngology–head and neck surgery expert advice through eConsultations. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(2):350-355. doi:10.1002/lary.26677

36.

Gilani

Bommakanti

Friedman

. Electronic consults in otolaryngology: a pilot study to evaluate the use, content, and outcomes in an academic health system. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2020;129(2):170-174. doi:10.1177/0003489419882726

37.

McRackan

Noble

Wilkinson

, et al. Implementation of image-guided cochlear implant programming at a distant site. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2017;156(5):933-937. doi:10.1177/0194599817698435

38.

Kokesh

Ferguson

Patricoski

LeMaster

. Traveling an audiologist to provide otolaryngology care using store-and-forward telemedicine. Telemed J E Health. 2009;15(8):758-763. doi:10.1089/tmj.2009.0046

39.

Sibert

Ricci

Caputo

, et al. The feasibility of using ultrasound and video laryngoscopy in a mobile telemedicine consult. Telemed J E Health. 2008;14(3):266-272. doi:10.1089/tmj.2007.0050

40.

Mosier

Joseph

Sakles

. Telebation: next-generation telemedicine in remote airway management using current wireless technologies. Telemed J E Health. 2013;19(2):95-98. doi:10.1089/tmj.2012.0093

41.

Newmark

Ahn

Adams

Bittner

Wilcox

. Use of video laryngoscopy and camera phones to communicate progression of laryngeal edema in assessing for extubation: a case series. J Intensive Care Med. 2013;28(1):67-71. doi:10.1177/0885066612437528

42.

Ciccia

Whitford

Krumm

McNeal

. Improving the access of young urban children to speech, language and hearing screening via telehealth. J Telemed Telecare. 2011;17(5):240-244. doi:10.1258/jtt.2011.100810

43.

Smith

Armfield

W-I

Brown

Mickan

Perry

. Changes in paediatric hospital ENT service utilisation following the implementation of a mobile, indigenous health screening service. J Telemed Telecare. 2013;19(7):397-400. doi:10.1177/1357633X13506526

44.

Smith

Brown

Bradford

Caffery

Perry

Armfield

. Monitoring ear health through a telemedicine-supported health screening service in Queensland. J Telemed Telecare. 2015;21(8):427-430. doi:10.1177/1357633X15605407

45.

Smith

Armfield

W-I

Brown

Perry

. A mobile telemedicine-enabled ear screening service for Indigenous children in Queensland: activity and outcomes in the first three years. J Telemed Telecare. 2012;18(8):485-489. doi:10.1258/jtt.2012.gth114

46.

Reeve

Thomas

Mossenson

Reeve

Davis

. Evaluation of an ear health pathway in remote communities: improvements in ear health access. Aust J Rural Health. 2014;22(3):127-132. doi:10.1111/ajr.12098

47.

Elliott

Smith

Bensink

, et al. The feasibility of a community-based mobile telehealth screening service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Australia. Telemed J E Health. 2010;16(9):950-956. doi:10.1089/tmj.2010.0045

48.

Hatton

Rowlandson

Beers

Small

. Telehealth-enabled auditory brainstem response testing for infants living in rural communities: the British Columbia Early Hearing Program experience. Int J Audiol. 2019;58(7):381-392. doi:10.1080/14992027.2019.1584681

49.

Ratanjee-Vanmali

Swanepoel

Laplante-Lévesque

. Characteristics, behaviours and readiness of persons seeking hearing healthcare online. Int J Audiol. 2019;58(2):107-115. doi:10.1080/14992027.2018.1516895

50.

Yousuf Hussein

Swanepoel

Mahomed

Biagio de Jager

. Community-based hearing screening for young children using an mHealth service-delivery model. Glob Health Action. 2018;11(1):1467077. doi:10.1080/16549716.2018.1467077

51.

Govender

Mars

. Assessing the efficacy of asynchronous telehealth-based hearing screening and diagnostic services using automated audiometry in a rural South African school. S Afr J Commun Disord. 2018;65(1):e1-e9. doi:10.4102/sajcd.v65i1.582

52.

Skarzyński

Świerniak

Piłka

, et al. A hearing screening program for children in primary schools in Tajikistan: a telemedicine model. Med Sci Monit. 2016;22:2424-2430. doi:10.12659/msm.895967

53.

Beukes

Baguley

Allen

Manchaiah

Andersson

. Audiologist-guided internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for adults with tinnitus in the United Kingdom: a randomized controlled trial. Ear Hear. 2018;39(3):423-433. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000505

54.

Beukes

Allen

Manchaiah

Baguley

Andersson

. Internet-based intervention for tinnitus: outcome of a single-group open trial. J Am Acad Audiol. 2017;28(4):340-351. doi:10.3766/jaaa.16055

55.

Weise

Kleinstäuber

Andersson

. Internet-delivered cognitive-behavior therapy for tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial. Psychosom Med. 2016;78(4):501-510. doi:10.1097/PSY.0000000000000310

56.

Hesser

Gustafsson

Lundén

, et al. A randomized controlled trial of Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of tinnitus. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2012;80(4):649-661. doi:10.1037/a0027021

57.

Henry

Zaugg

Myers

, et al. Pilot study to develop telehealth tinnitus management for persons with and without traumatic brain injury. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2012;49(7):1025-1042. doi:10.1682/jrrd.2010.07.0125

58.

van Leer

Porcaro

. Feasibility of the fake phone call: an iOS app for covert, public practice of voice technique for generalization training. J Voice. 2019;33(5):659-668. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.02.014

59.

Dias

Limongi

JCP

Barbosa

Hsing

. Voice telerehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease. Codas. 2016;28(2):176-181. doi:10.1590/2317-1782/20162015161

60.

Howell

Tripoliti

Pring

. Delivering the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) by web camera: a feasibility study. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2009;44(3):287-300. doi:10.1080/13682820802033968

61.

Theodoros

Ward

. Delivery of intensive voice therapy for vocal fold nodules via telepractice: a pilot feasibility and efficacy study. J Voice. 2015;29(6):696-706. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.12.003

62.

Wall

Ward

Cartmill

Hill

Porceddu

. Examining user perceptions of SwallowIT: a pilot study of a new telepractice application for delivering intensive swallowing therapy to head and neck cancer patients. J Telemed Telecare. 2017;23(1):53-59. doi:10.1177/1357633X15617887

63.

Sharma

Ward

Burns

Theodoros

Russell

. Assessing dysphagia via telerehabilitation: patient perceptions and satisfaction. Int J Speech Lang Pathol. 2013;15(2):176-183. doi:10.3109/17549507.2012.689333

64.

Wall

Ward

Cartmill

Hill

Porceddu

. Adherence to a prophylactic swallowing therapy program during (chemo) radiotherapy: impact of service-delivery model and patient factors. Dysphagia. 2017;32(2):279-292. doi:10.1007/s00455-016-9757-z

65.

Constantinescu

. Satisfaction with telemedicine for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss. J Telemed Telecare. 2012;18(5):267-272. doi:10.1258/jtt.2012.111208

66.

Kim

. Effects of a posttonsillectomy management program using a mobile instant messenger on parents’ knowledge and anxiety, and their children’s compliance, bleeding, and pain. J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2019;24(4):e12270. doi:10.1111/jspn.12270

67.

Dvorin

Rothberg

Rood

Martinez

. Corticosteroid use for acute respiratory tract infections in direct-to-consumer telemedicine. Am J Med. 2020;133(8):e399-e405. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.02.014

68.

Shaffer

Dohar

. Evidence-based telehealth clinical pathway for pediatric tympanostomy tube otorrhea. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;134:110027. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110027

69.

Fraia

Tripodi

Arasi

, et al. Adherence to prescribed e-diary recording by patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: observational study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(3):e16642. doi:10.2196/16642

70.

Pedersen

Holand

. Tele-endoscopic otorhinolaryngological examination: preliminary study of patient satisfaction. Telemed J. 1995;1(1):47-52. doi:10.1089/tmj.1.1995.1.47

71.

Delb

Merkel

Pilorget

Schmitt

Plinkert

. Effectiveness of a TEOAE-based screening program: can a patient-tracking system effectively be organized using modern information technology and central data management? Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2004;261(4):191-196. doi:10.1007/s00405-003-0662-3

72.

Yancey

Cheromei

Muhando

Reppart

Netterville

Jayawardena

ADL

. Pediatric hearing screening in low-resource settings: incorporation of video-otoscopy and an electronic medical record. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2019;126:109633. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.109633

73.

Cullington

Agyemang-Prempeh

. Person-centred cochlear implant care: assessing the need for clinic intervention in adults with cochlear implants using a dual approach of an online speech recognition test and a questionnaire. Cochlear Implants Int. 2017;18(2):76-88. doi:10.1080/14670100.2017.1279728

74.

Gupta

Chawla

Gupta

Dhawan

Janaki

. Community triage of otology patients using a store-and-forward telemedicine device: a feasibility study. Ear Nose Throat J. 2017;96(7):246-249.

75.

van Wyk

Mahomed-Asmail

Swanepoel

. Supporting hearing health in vulnerable populations through community care workers using mHealth technologies. Int J Audiol. 2019;58(11):790-797. doi:10.1080/14992027.2019.1649478

76.

Seim

Philips

RHW

Matrka

, et al. Developing a synchronous otolaryngology telemedicine clinic: prospective study to assess fidelity and diagnostic concordance. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(5):1068-1074. doi:10.1002/lary.26929

77.

Heneghan

Sclafani

Stern

Ginsburg

. Telemedicine applications in otolaryngology. IEEE Eng Med Biol Mag. 1999;18(4):53-62. doi:10.1109/51.775489

78.

Sclafani

Heneghan

Ginsburg

Sabini

Stern

Dolitsky

. Teleconsultation in otolaryngology: live versus store and forward consultations. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999;120(1):62-72. doi:10.1016/S0194-5998(99)70371-2

79.

Yulzari

Bretler

Avraham

Sharabi-Nov

Even-Tov

Gilbey

. Mobile technology-based real-time teleotolaryngology care facilitated by a nonotolaryngologist physician in an adult population. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2018;127(1):46-50. doi:10.1177/0003489417745089

80.

Ullah

Gilliland

Adams

. Otolaryngology consultations by real-time telemedicine. Ulster Med J. 2002;71(1):26-29.

81.

Melcer

Hunsaker

Crann

Caola

Deniston

. A prospective evaluation of ENT telemedicine in remote military populations seeking specialty care. Telemed J E Health. 2002;8(3):301-311. doi:10.1089/15305620260353199

82.

Smith

Dowthwaite

Agnew

Wootton

. Concordance between real-time telemedicine assessments and face-to-face consultations in paediatric otolaryngology. Med J Aust. 2008;188(8):457-460.

83.

Mehrotra

Paone

Martich

Albert

Shevchik

. A comparison of care at e-visits and physician office visits for sinusitis and urinary tract infection. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(1):72-74. doi:10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.305

84.

Johnson

Dumkow

Burns

Yee

Egwuatu

. Comparison of diagnosis and prescribing practices between virtual visits and office visits for adults diagnosed with sinusitis within a primary care network. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(9):ofz393. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofz393

85.

Davis

Marzec

Blea

, et al. Antibiotic prescribing patterns for sinusitis within a direct-to-consumer virtual urgent care. Telemed J E Health. 2019;25(6):519-522. doi:10.1089/tmj.2018.0100

86.

Jacups

Newman

Dean

Richards

McConnon

. An innovative approach to improve ear, nose and throat surgical access for remote living Cape York Indigenous children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2017;100:225-231. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2017.07.011

87.

Lundberg

Biagio

Laurent

Sandström

Swanepoel

. Remote evaluation of video-otoscopy recordings in an unselected pediatric population with an otitis media scale. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2014;78(9):1489-1495. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2014.06.018

88.

Kokesh

Ferguson

Patricoski

, et al. Digital images for postsurgical follow-up of tympanostomy tubes in remote Alaska. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;139(1):87-93. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2008.04.008

89.

Patricoski

Kokesh

Ferguson

, et al. A comparison of in-person examination and video otoscope imaging for tympanostomy tube follow-up. Telemed J E Health. 2003;9(4):331-344. doi:10.1089/153056203772744653

90.

Biagio

Swanepoel

Laurent

Lundberg

. Video-otoscopy recordings for diagnosis of childhood ear disease using telehealth at primary health care level. J Telemed Telecare. 2014;20(6):300-306. doi:10.1177/1357633X14541038

91.

Eikelboom

Mbao

Coates

Atlas

Gallop

. Validation of tele-otology to diagnose ear disease in children. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2005;69(6):739-744. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2004.12.008

92.

Lundberg

Biagio

Jager

Swanepoel

Laurent

. Diagnostic accuracy of a general practitioner with video-otoscopy collected by a health care facilitator compared to traditional otoscopy. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2017;99:49-53. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2017.04.045

93.

Hughes

Sevier

Choi

. Techniques for remotely programming children with cochlear implants using pediatric audiological methods via telepractice. Am J Audiol. 2018;27(3S):385-390. doi:10.1044/2018_AJA-IMIA3-18-0002

94.

Wesarg

Wasowski

Skarzynski

, et al. Remote fitting in Nucleus cochlear implant recipients. Acta Otolaryngol. 2010;130(12):1379-1388. doi:10.3109/00016489.2010.492480

95.

Hughes

Goehring

Sevier

Choi

. Measuring sound-processor thresholds for pediatric cochlear implant recipients using visual reinforcement audiometry via telepractice. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2018;61(8):2115-2125. doi:10.1044/2018_JSLHR-H-17-0458

96.

Hughes

Goehring

Baudhuin

, et al. Use of telehealth for research and clinical measures in cochlear implant recipients: a validation study. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2012;55(4):1112-1127. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2011/11-0237)

97.

Lohmann

Carlson

Sladen

. Intraoperative cochlear implant device testing utilizing an automated remote system: a prospective pilot study. Otol Neurotol. 2018;39(3):313-317. doi:10.1097/MAO.0000000000001719

98.

Campos

Ferrari

. Teleaudiology: evaluation of teleconsultation efficacy for hearing aid fitting. J Soc Bras Fonoaudiol. 2012;24(4):301-308. doi:10.1590/s2179-64912012000400003

99.

Goehring

Hughes

. Measuring sound-processor threshold levels for pediatric cochlear implant recipients using conditioned play audiometry via telepractice. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2017;60(3):732-740. doi:10.1044/2016_JSLHR-H-16-0184

100.

Sevier

Choi

Hughes

. Use of direct-connect for remote speech-perception testing in cochlear implants. Ear Hear. 2019;40(5):1162-1173. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000693

101.

Fletcher

Dicken

Adkins

, et al. Audiology telemedicine evaluations: potential expanded applications. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;161(1):63-66. doi:10.1177/0194599819835541

102.

Crowell

Givens

Jones

Brechtelsbauer

Yao

. Audiology telepractice in a clinical environment: a communication perspective. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2011;120(7):441-447. doi:10.1177/000348941112000704

103.

Yao

Givens

Wan

. A Web services-based distributed system with browser-client architecture to promote tele-audiology assessment. Telemed J E Health. 2009;15(8):777-782. doi:10.1089/tmj.2009.0031

104.

Givens

Elangovan

. Internet application to tele-audiology—“nothin’ but net.” Am J Audiol. 2003;12(2):59-65. doi:10.1044/1059-0889(2003/011)

105.

Yao

Wan

Givens

. Using web services to realize remote hearing assessment. J Clin Monit Comput. 2010;24(1):41-50. doi:10.1007/s10877-009-9208-6

106.

Givens

Blanarovich

Murphy

Simmons

Blach

Elangovan

. Internet-based tele-audiometry system for the assessment of hearing: a pilot study. Telemed J E Health. 2003;9(4):375-378. doi:10.1089/153056203772744707

107.

Yao

Givens

. A browser-server-based tele-audiology system that supports multiple hearing test modalities. Telemed J E Health. 2015;21(9):697-704. doi:10.1089/tmj.2014.0171

108.

Swanepoel

Koekemoer

Clark

. Intercontinental hearing assessment—a study in tele-audiology. J Telemed Telecare. 2010;16(5):248-252. doi:10.1258/jtt.2010.090906

109.

Choi

Lee

Park

. PC-based tele-audiometry. Telemed J E Health. 2007;13(5):501-508. doi:10.1089/tmj.2007.0085

110.

Jacobs

Silaski

Wilmington

, et al. Development and evaluation of a portable audiometer for high-frequency screening of hearing loss from ototoxicity in homes/clinics. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2012;59(11):3097-3103. doi:10.1109/TBME.2012.2204881

111.

Whitton

Hancock

Shannon

Polley

. Validation of a self-administered audiometry application: an equivalence study. Laryngoscope. 2016;126(10):2382-2388. doi:10.1002/lary.25988

112.

Margolis

Bratt

Feeney

Killion

Saly

. Home hearing test: within-subjects threshold variability. Ear Hear. 2018;39(5):906-909. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000551

113.

Masalski

Kręcicki

. Self-test web-based pure-tone audiometry: validity evaluation and measurement error analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2013;15(4):e71. doi:10.2196/jmir.2222

114.

Malandraki

McCullough

McWeeny

Perlman

. Teledynamic evaluation of oropharyngeal swallowing. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2011;54(6):1497-1505. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2011/10-0284)

115.

Morrell

Hyers

Stuchiner

, et al. Telehealth stroke dysphagia evaluation is safe and effective. Cerebrovasc Dis. 2017;44(3-4):225-231. doi:10.1159/000478107

116.

Kantarcigil

Sheppard

Gordon

Friel

Malandraki

. A telehealth approach to conducting clinical swallowing evaluations in children with cerebral palsy. Res Dev Disabil. 2016;55:207-217. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2016.04.008

117.

Burns

Ward

Hill

Phillips

Porter

. Conducting real-time videofluoroscopic swallow study via telepractice: a preliminary feasibility and reliability study. Dysphagia. 2016;31(3):473-483. doi:10.1007/s00455-016-9701-2

118.

Akhtar

Van Heukelom

Ahmed

, et al. Telemedicine physical examination utilizing a consumer device demonstrates poor concordance with in-person physical examination in emergency department patients with sore throat: a prospective blinded study. Telemed J E Health. 2018;24(10):790-796. doi:10.1089/tmj.2017.0240

119.

Lozada

Morton

Stepan

Capo

Chai

. The clinical impact of bedside fiberoptic laryngoscopic recording on a tertiary consult service. Laryngoscope. 2018;128(4):818-822. doi:10.1002/lary.26821

120.

C-J

S-Y

Chen

P-C

Lin

Y-S

. An innovative smartphone-based otorhinoendoscope and its application in mobile health and teleotolaryngology. J Med Internet Res. 2014;16(3):e71. doi:10.2196/jmir.2959

121.

Shah

Sohal

Valdez

Grindle

. iPhone otoscopes: currently available, but reliable for tele-otoscopy in the hands of parents? Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2018;106:59-63. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2018.01.003

122.

Shah

Lotterman

Roberts

Eisen

. Smartphone telemedical emergency department consults for screening of nonacute dizziness. Laryngoscope. 2019;129(2):466-469. doi:10.1002/lary.27424

123.

Rodríguez

Ramos

Falcon

Martínez-Beneyto

Gault

Boyle

. Use of telemedicine in the remote programming of cochlear implants. Cochlear Implants Int. 2010;11(suppl 1):461-464. doi:10.1179/146701010X12671177204624

124.

Biagio

Swanepoel

Adeyemo

Hall

3rd Vinck

. Asynchronous video-otoscopy with a telehealth facilitator. Telemed J E Health. 2013;19(4):252-258. doi:10.1089/tmj.2012.0161

125.

Cingi

Yorgancioglu

Cingi

, et al. The “physician on call patient engagement trial” (POPET): measuring the impact of a mobile patient engagement application on health outcomes and quality of life in allergic rhinitis and asthma patients. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2015;5(6):487-497. doi:10.1002/alr.21468

126.

Pizzulli

Perna

Florack

, et al. The impact of telemonitoring on adherence to nasal corticosteroid treatment in children with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Clin Exp Allergy. 2014;44(10):1246-1254. doi:10.1111/cea.12386

127.

Malandraki

Markaki

Georgopoulos

Bauer

Kalogeropoulos

Nanas

. An international pilot study of asynchronous teleconsultation for oropharyngeal dysphagia. J Telemed Telecare. 2013;19(2):75-79. doi:10.1177/1357633x12474963

128.

Furukawa

Mizojiri

Matsuda

. Telemedicine in laryngology. Telemed J. 1998;4(4):329-333. doi:10.1089/tmj.1.1998.4.329

129.

Mayadevi

Thankappan

Limbachiya

, et al. Interdisciplinary telemedicine in the management of dysphagia in head and neck. Dysphagia. 2018;33(4):474-480. doi:10.1007/s00455-018-9876-9

130.

Kokesh

Ferguson

Patricoski

. Preoperative planning for ear surgery using store-and-forward telemedicine. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010;143(2):253-257. doi:10.1016/j.otohns.2010.04.265

131.

Eze

Bray

Toma

. The use of camera mobile phone to assess emergency ENT radiological investigations. Clin Otolaryngol. 2005;30(3):230-233. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2273.2005.00982.x

132.

Lancaster

Krumm

Ribera

Klich

. Remote hearing screenings via telehealth in a rural elementary school. Am J Audiol. 2008;17(2):114-122. doi:10.1044/1059-0889(2008/07-0008)

133.

Botasso

Sanches

SGG

Bento

Samelli

. Teleaudiometry as a screening method in school children. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2015;70(4):283-288. doi:10.6061/clinics/2015(04)11

134.

Ramkumar

Hall

Nagarajan

Shankarnarayan

Kumaravelu

. Tele-ABR using a satellite connection in a mobile van for newborn hearing testing. J Telemed Telecare. 2013;19(5):233-237. doi:10.1177/1357633X13494691

135.

Kleinstäuber

Weise

Andersson

Probst

. Personality traits predict and moderate the outcome of Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic tinnitus. Int J Audiol. 2018;57(7):538-544. doi:10.1080/14992027.2018.1432902

136.

Henry

Thielman

Zaugg

, et al. Telephone-based progressive tinnitus management for persons with and without traumatic brain injury: a randomized controlled trial. Ear Hear. 2019;40(2):227-242. doi:10.1097/AUD.0000000000000609

137.

van Vugt

van der Wouden

Essery

, et al. Internet based vestibular rehabilitation with and without physiotherapy support for adults aged 50 and older with a chronic vestibular syndrome in general practice: three armed randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2019;367:l5922. doi:10.1136/bmj.l5922

138.

Thorén

Öberg

Andersson

Lunner

. Internet interventions for hearing loss. Am J Audiol. 2015;24(3):316-319. doi:10.1044/2015_AJA-15-0009

139.

Havenga

Swanepoel

le Roux

Schmid

. Tele-intervention for children with hearing loss: a comparative pilot study. J Telemed Telecare. 2017;23(1):116-125. doi:10.1177/1357633X15617886

140.

Constantinescu

Waite

Dornan

, et al. A pilot study of telepractice delivery for teaching listening and spoken language to children with hearing loss. J Telemed Telecare. 2014;20(3):135-140. doi:10.1177/1357633X14528443

141.

Rangarathnam

McCullough

Pickett

Zraick

Tulunay-Ugur

McCullough

. Telepractice versus in-person delivery of voice therapy for primary muscle tension dysphonia. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2015;24(3):386-399. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-14-0017

142.

Mashima

Birkmire-Peters

Syms

Holtel

Burgess

LPA

Peters

. Telehealth: voice therapy using telecommunications technology. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2003;12(4):432-439. doi:10.1044/1058-0360(2003/089)

143.

Theodoros

Hill

Russell

. Clinical and quality of life outcomes of speech treatment for Parkinson’s disease delivered to the home via telerehabilitation: a noninferiority randomized controlled trial. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2016;25(2):214-232. doi:10.1044/2015_AJSLP-15-0005

144.

Constantinescu

Theodoros

Russell

Ward

Wilson

Wootton

. Treating disordered speech and voice in Parkinson’s disease online: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2011;46(1):1-16. doi:10.3109/13682822.2010.484848

145.

Constantinescu

Theodoros

Russell

Ward

Wilson

Wootton

. Assessing disordered speech and voice in Parkinson’s disease: a telerehabilitation application. Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2010;45(6):630-644. doi:10.3109/13682820903470569

146.

Ward

Burns

Theodoros

Russell

. Impact of dysphagia severity on clinical decision making via telerehabilitation. Telemed J E Health. 2014;20(4):296-303. doi:10.1089/tmj.2013.0198

147.

Ward

Sharma

Burns

Theodoros

Russell

. Validity of conducting clinical dysphagia assessments for patients with normal to mild cognitive impairment via telerehabilitation. Dysphagia. 2012;27(4):460-472. doi:10.1007/s00455-011-9390-9

148.

Cha

Shin

Kim

, et al. Feasibility of asynchronous and automated telemedicine in otolaryngology: prospective cross-sectional study. JMIR Med Inform. 2020;8(10):e23680. doi:10.2196/23680

149.

Binol

Niazi

MKK

Essig

, et al. Digital otoscopy videos versus composite images: a reader study to compare the accuracy of ENT physicians. Laryngoscope. 2021;131(5):E1668-E1676. doi:10.1002/lary.29253

150.

Halpren-Ruder

Chang

Hollander

Shah

. Quality assurance in telehealth: adherence to evidence-based indicators. Telemed J E Health. 2019;25(7):599-603. doi:10.1089/tmj.2018.0149

151.

Ramos

Rodriguez

Martinez-Beneyto

, et al. Use of telemedicine in the remote programming of cochlear implants. Acta Otolaryngol. 2009;129(5):533-540. doi:10.1080/00016480802294369

152.

Smith

Scuffham

Wootton

. A cost minimisation analysis of a telepaediatric otolaryngology service. BMC Health Serv Res. 2008;8:30. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-30

153.

Philips

Seim

Matrka

, et al. Cost savings associated with an outpatient otolaryngology telemedicine clinic. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2019;4(2):234-240. doi:10.1002/lio2.244

154.

Wall

Kularatna

Ward

, et al. Economic analysis of a three-arm RCT exploring the delivery of intensive, prophylactic swallowing therapy to patients with head and neck cancer during (chemo)radiotherapy. Dysphagia. 2019;34(5):627-639. doi:10.1007/s00455-018-9960-1

155.

Qualliotine

Orosco

. Self-removing passive drain to facilitate postoperative care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Head Neck. 2020;42(6):1305-1307. doi:10.1002/hed.26203

156.

Fieux

Duret

Bawazeer

Denoix

Zaouche

Tringali

. Telemedicine for ENT: effect on quality of care during COVID-19 pandemic. Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis. 2020;137(4):257-261. doi:10.1016/j.anorl.2020.06.014

157.

Jiang

Magit

Carvalho

. Equal access to telemedicine during COVID-19 pandemic: a pediatric otolaryngology perspective. Laryngoscope. 2021;131(5):1175-1179. doi:10.1002/lary.29164

158.

Kolb

Born

Banker

Barth

Aaronson

. Improving attendance and patient experiences during the expansion of a telehealth-based pediatric otolaryngology practice. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2021;164(5):952-958. doi:10.1177/0194599820965917

159.

Govil

Raol

Tey

Goudy

Alfonso

. Rapid telemedicine implementation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in an academic pediatric otolaryngology practice. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;139:110447. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110447

160.

Darr

Senior

Argyriou

, et al. The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on elective paediatric otolaryngology outpatient services—an analysis of virtual outpatient clinics in a tertiary referral centre using the modified paediatric otolaryngology telemedicine satisfaction survey (POTSS). Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2020;138:110383. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110383

161.

Zammit

Siau

Williams

Hussein

. Patient satisfaction from ENT telephone consultations during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. J Laryngol Otol. Published online November 17, 2020. doi:10.1017/S0022215120002480

162.

Belcher

Phillips

Virgin

, et al. Pediatric otolaryngology telehealth in response to COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and impact on the future management of pediatric patients. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2021;130(7):788-795. doi:10.1177/0003489420976163

163.

Vijayasundaram

Karthikeyan

Mehta

. Proficiency of virtual follow-up amongst tinnitus patients who underwent intratympanic steroid therapy amidst COVID 19 pandemic. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(6):102680. doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102680

164.

Svider

Setzen

Folbe

Eloy

Johnson

. Incorporation of telemedicine by rhinologists: the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(6):102567. doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102567

165.

Ohlstein

Garner

Takashima

. Telemedicine in otolaryngology in the COVID-19 era: initial lessons learned. Laryngoscope. 2020;130(11):2568-2573. doi:10.1002/lary.29030

166.

Layfield

Triantafillou

Prasad

, et al. Telemedicine for head and neck ambulatory visits during COVID-19: evaluating usability and patient satisfaction. Head Neck. 2020;42(7):1681-1689. doi:10.1002/hed.26285

167.

Jayawardena

ADL

Mankarious

Keamy

Cohen

. Pediatric, family-centered, “at-home” otologic physical examination in the COVID-19 era. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;163(5):1061-1063. doi:10.1177/0194599820934776

168.

Kasle

Torabi

Savoca

Judson

Manes

. Outpatient otolaryngology in the era of COVID-19: a data-driven analysis of practice patterns. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020;163(1):138-144. doi:10.1177/0194599820928987

169.

Snyderman

Gardner

Lanisnik

Ravnik

. Surgical telementoring: a new model for surgical training. Laryngoscope. 2016;126(6):1334-1338. doi:10.1002/lary.25753

170.

Burgess

Holtel

Syms

Birkmire-Peters

Peters

Mashima

. Overview of telemedicine applications for otolaryngology. Laryngoscope. 1999;109(9):1433-1437. doi:10.1097/00005537-199909000-00014

171.

Burgess

LPA

Syms

Holtel

Birkmire-Peters

Johnson

Ramsey

. Telemedicine: teleproctored endoscopic sinus surgery. Laryngoscope. 2002;112(2):216-219. doi:10.1097/00005537-200202000-00003

172.

Klapan

Simicić

Risavi

, et al. Tele-3-dimensional computer-assisted functional endoscopic sinus surgery: new dimension in the surgery of the nose and paranasal sinuses. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2002;127(6):549-557. doi:10.1067/mhn.2002.129732

173.

Klapan

Simicić

Pasarić

, et al. Realtime transfer of live video images in parallel with three-dimensional modelling of the surgical field in computer-assisted telesurgery. J Telemed Telecare. 2002;8(3):125-130. doi:10.1177/1357633X0200800301

174.

Berg

Beamis

Murray

Boedeker

. Remote videolaryngoscopy skills training for pre-hospital personnel. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2009;142:31-33.

175.

Prescher

Grover

Mosier

, et al. Telepresent intubation supervision is as effective as in-person supervision of procedurally naive operators. Telemed J E Health. 2015;21(3):170-175. doi:10.1089/tmj.2014.0090

176.

Faulkner

Taylor

Nessen

Boedeker

. Development of a tele ENT program to support distant military treatment facilities for the European regional medical command. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2014;196:101-106.

177.

Melo

TM de

Alvarenga

K de F

Blasca

Taga

MF de L

. Community health agents training on hearing health: effectiveness of videoconference. Pro Fono. 2010;22(2):139-145. doi:10.1590/s0104-56872010000200012

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.04 MB

Telemedicine and Telementoring in Rhinology,Otology,and Laryngology: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objective

Data Sources

Review Methods

Conclusions

Implications for Practice

Keywords

Materials and Methods

Information Sources and Search Strategy

Eligibility Criteria

Selection of Sources of Evidence

Data Extraction

Results

Virtual Encounters

Physician-Patient Interaction

Patient Engagement Tools

Physician-Physician Interaction

Tele-screening

Tele-rehabilitation

Telementoring

Discussion

Implications for Practice

Author Contributions

Disclosures

Supplemental Material

sj-docx-1-opn-10.1177_2473974X211072791 – Supplemental material for Telemedicine and Telementoring in Rhinology, Otology, and Laryngology: A Scoping Review

Footnotes

Acknowledgements

Supplemental Material

References

Supplementary Material