Telemedicine in hepatology: current applications and future directions

Liver Transpl. 2021 Sep 10. doi: 10.1002/lt.26293. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Telemedicine refers to the use of information and communication technologies for providing health care at a distance. Through the use of telecommunication technologies such as cellphones, computers, and other electronic devices, healthcare providers are able to conduct patient visits, mentor/train other providers, and monitor patients' chronic diseases remotely, potentially hundreds or thousands of miles away. Over the past two decades, the use of telemedicine has grown in the field of hepatology. In this review, we provide a focused primer on telemedicine and its current applications in hepatology. In particular, we discuss the use of telemedicine in the management of chronic hepatitis C, the complications of liver disease, as well as pre-liver transplantation evaluation and post-transplantation care. In addition, we provide a synopsis of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use of telemedicine in hepatology.

PMID:34506686 | DOI:10.1002/lt.26293