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Review
. 2022 May 25;11(11):2983.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11112983.

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Orthopedics and the Implications of Telemedicine: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Chia-Hao Hsu  1   2   3   4 , Hsuan-Ti Huang  3   4 , Chung-Hwan Chen  1   2   3   4 , Yin-Chih Fu  2   3   4 , Pei-Hsi Chou  1   3   4 , Nin-Chieh Hsu  5
Affiliations
Review

Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Orthopedics and the Implications of Telemedicine: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Chia-Hao Hsu et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the orthopedics field by focusing on multiple aspects, including orthopedic training and application, performance, work loading, change of practice, research work, and other psychological factors. Published articles were searched using the PubMed database. Articles were selected in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Of 58 studies published between 1 January 2020 and 1 October 2021, 57 peer-reviewed original articles were included. Nearly 90% of students experienced an impact of the pandemic on application. The impact on training stemmed from redeployment rates of 20.9-23.1%. The rate of emergency or outpatient visits decreased from 18% to 58.6%. The rates of all surgeries or emergency surgeries decreased by 15.6-49.4%, while the rates of elective surgeries decreased by 43.5-100%. The rate of work loading ranged from 33% to 66%. Approximately 50-100% of surgeons had a change of practice. A total of 40.5% of orthopedic surgeons experienced mild psychological pressure. Approximately 64% had stopped research participant recruitment. Most of the included studies were conducted in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. It is suggested orthopedic surgeons prepare more sufficient, flexible, and reservable staffing measures, proper preventive strategies and surgical scheduling algorithms, and set up dedicated venues and equipment for routine telemedicine with staff training for virtual teaching or consultations in case of future impacts on orthopedics.

Keywords: COVID-19; impact; orthopedics; pandemic; telemedicine; virtual consultations; virtual teaching.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Literature selection process according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Reduction percentage of all surgeries or emergency surgeries [15,20,22,31,33,50,56].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximal reduction in elective surgery performance [31,33,43,53,56].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Reduction in emergency or outpatient visits [12,17,31,45,56].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Reduction in orthopedic cases or referral [12,17,18,20,22,45].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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