JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Telemedicine offers a multitude of potential advantages, such as enhanced healthcare accessibility, cost reduction, and improved patient outcomes. The significance of telemedicine has been underscored by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining uninterrupted care while minimizing the risk of viral exposure. However, the adoption and implementation of telemedicine have been relatively sluggish in certain areas. Assessing the level of interest in telemedicine can provide valuable insights into areas that require enhancement.

Objective:

To provide a comprehensive analysis of the level of public and research interest in telemedicine from 2017 to 2022, also considering any potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Google Trends data were used to assess public interest in telemedicine, its geographic distribution, and trends through a joinpoint regression. Bibliographic data from Scopus were used to map publications on telemedicine in terms of scientific production, most relevant countries and keywords, collaboration and co-occurrence networks.

Results:

Chile, Australia, Canada, and the USA had the greatest public interest in telemedicine. In these countries, moderate to strong correlations were evident between Google Trends and COVID-19 data (i.e., new cases and deaths, and hospitalized patients). Public interest rapidly increased from January to April 2020, with a monthly percentage change of 95.7%. After that, it decreased until August 2020 and then stabilized. Bibliometric analysis also revealed a significant increase in the number of publications, especially from 2020 onwards. Most publications came from a single country, while 1 in 5 featured international collaborations. As the most productive country, the USA led a cluster that included Canada and Australia as well. European, Asian, and Latin American countries made up the remaining three clusters. In an analysis of the most common keywords, the following were of particular interest: the application of eHealth, mHealth, or digital health to noncommunicable diseases; telemedicine and telehealth were instead used in relation to COVID-19.

Conclusions:

Our analysis of search and bibliographic data over time and across regions helps us understand the level of interest in this topic, identify areas for further research and awareness-raising efforts, and inform policy decisions regarding telemedicine adoption and implementation.