Telemedicine interventions after colorectal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: There has been increasing interest in telemedicine follow-up after surgery. This study aims to synthesize the literature regarding the effect of postoperative telemedicine after colorectal surgery on 30-day readmission and emergency department visit rates compared with usual care.

METHOD: Relevant databases were searched until September 12, 2025. Two authors independently identified trials, extracted data, assessed risk of bias (ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I), and evidence certainty (GRADE). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled observational studies were included. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. Primary outcomes were 30-day readmissions and 30-day emergency department visits. Secondary outcomes included patient satisfaction and compliance with the telemedicine intervention.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies (five RCTs, eight cohort studies) were included. Compared to usual care, telemedicine resulted in no difference in 30-day readmissions (odds ratio [OR]; 0.96; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.35, 11 studies, 7102 patients, low certainty) and 30-day emergency department visits (OR; 1.02; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.57, 8 studies, 6694 patients, low certainty). Evidence certainty was limited by serious imprecision and moderate to high risk of bias. Patient compliance with interventions ranged from 48.6% to 95.3% across studies. Patient satisfaction was higher for telemedicine compared to usual care (standardized mean difference; 0.88; 95% CI: 0.31, 1.45, 3 studies, 217 patients).

CONCLUSION

Telemedicine interventions may lead to little difference in readmissions or emergency department visits after colorectal surgery. Telemedicine may improve patient satisfaction versus usual care. Evidence was of low certainty, indicating a need for larger randomized trials and high-quality observational studies with appropriate design and analysis to minimize confounding.