The effect of telemedicine on stoma-related complications in adults with enterostomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

To assess the effect of telemedicine on stoma-related complications in adults with enterostomy, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of the telemedicine group compared to the usual group. Literature searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang and VIP databases from their inception up to October 2023. Two authors independently screened and extracted data from the included and excluded literature according to predetermined criteria. Data collected were subjected to meta-analysis using Review Manager 5.3 software. The final analysis included a total of 22 articles, encompassing 2237 patients (telemedicine group: 1125 patients, usual group: 1112 patients). The meta-analysis results demonstrated that, compared to the usual group, the telemedicine group significantly reduced the overall occurrence of stoma-related complications, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.22 (95% CI = 0.15-0.32, p < 0.00001). Furthermore, it resulted in a decrease in stoma complications (OR = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.15-0.47, p < 0.00001) and peristomal complications (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.19-0.34, p < 0.00001). Therefore, the existing evidence suggests that the application of telemedicine can reduce the incidence of stoma and peristomal complications, making it a valuable clinical recommendation.