A Review of Tele-Nursing in Iran

Tele-nursing refers to the provision of nursing services through telephone or information technology. Follow-up by the nurse to identify the needs and problems and sensitize clients to accept ongoing health behaviors and improve and enhance their health, which is an essential part of distance nursing services. Meanwhile, telephone follow-up can be an easy, cost-effective, and accessible method to follow up and provide the necessary training to patients. The purpose of this study is to review the published articles in the field of telenursing in Iran. Methods: In this integrated review study conducted in October and November 2020, search for articles in electronic sources and databases of Google Scholar, SID, Magiran, Iranmedex, CINAHL, ProQuest, Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct in the period 2008-2020 Done. Keywords used in were tele-nursing and telephone follow-up. Results: In the initial search, 34 articles were found, and finally, 17 completely related articles were included in the study. Studies show that tele-nursing services are an excellent tool for the elderly, people with chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, epilepsy, and hypertension. The first study of telephone follow-up by a nurse was related to patients with type 2 diabetes in Tehran in 2008. The positive effect of telephone followup by the nurse on a diet, adherence to the diabetes treatment regimen, control of blood sugar and lipids, quality of life of diabetic patients, and self-care behaviors of patients with type 2 diabetes have been shown. The positive effects of tele-nursing in improving the quality of life of heart patients after implantation of a pacemaker, patients with atrial fibrillation, and patients with epilepsy have been clarified. Nurses' telephone follow-up has shown a positive effect on anxiety, hope, and subsequent heart failure patients' admissions. It has affected increasing adherence to the treatment regimen by patients with acute coronary syndrome and reducing the incidence of symptoms and complications after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Tele-nursing has also effectively reduced fatigue in the elderly undergoing hemodialysis, reducing loneliness and perception of aging in the elderly and increasing self-efficacy in self-care behaviors in the elderly with hypertension. However, tele-nursing did not have a significant effect on readmission status and complications in head trauma patients. Conclusion: Tele-nursing can be a reasonable, low cost, and affordable tool to provide services to patients with chronic diseases and the elderly. The study of tele-nursing in other types of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, lung diseases, etc., as well as its impact on other care outcomes requires special attention.

Keywords:

Tele-Nursing , Telephone follow-up , Nursing , Iran