Keywords
Surgical wound infection
Telemedicine
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Abstract
Objective: Identify the effectiveness of telehealth in detecting infections in surgical wounds through evidence in the scientific literature. Methods: This is an integrative review, carried out in the EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases, using the following descriptors: “telemedicine”, “telehealth”, “digital health”, “surgical site infection”, “surgical wound” and “surgical wound infection”. Studies published between 2018 to 2024 that included postoperative patients evaluated using telehealth methods were included. Results: The final sample consisted of 11 articles, with a higher concentration of publications in the years 2023 and 2021. The majority of studies were conducted in the United Kingdom, and the predominant research designs were cohort studies. Telehealth has been found to significantly increase diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy in early detection of infections in surgical wounds, providing a strong correlation between in-person and remote assessments and reducing the need for in-person follow-up. Final considerations: This review highlights the potential of telehealth in monitoring surgical wounds, highlighting improvements in diagnostic efficacy and accessibility to care. Challenges such as the need to standardize monitoring techniques and the inclusion of patients less familiar with the technology point to critical areas for future research.
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