Telemedicine and remote monitoring in burn care: A review of current applications

Abstract

Burn injury is one of the most destructive types of trauma, with considerable physical, psychological, and financial costs to individuals as well as to healthcare systems. Specialized care for burns remains scarce in most areas, particularly in remote or resource-limited regions. Telemedicine and remote monitoring have become valuable tools for bridging these care gaps. This review provides an overview of existing applications, benefits, and challenges of telemedicine and remote monitoring for burns, as well as future directions for their wider application. An in-depth review of contemporary literature was conducted to evaluate telemedicine-based methodologies in various areas of burn treatment, including teleconsultation, remote patient follow-up, wound assessment, and rehabilitation. The use of advanced tools, such as artificial intelligence and wearable sensors, in augmenting remote care was also investigated. Telemedicine facilitates prompt specialist consultations, reduces unnecessary transfers, and supports early recognition in underserved groups. Remote monitoring devices have enhanced wound management, optimized rehabilitation processes, and facilitated greater patient satisfaction. Technical limitations, data privacy, security, and unstandardized clinical guidelines constitute challenges that still need answers from research and policy. Telemedicine, combined with remote monitoring, holds promising capabilities for significantly improving the provision of care for burns by expanding access, enhancing patient outcomes, and optimizing healthcare resource management. Overcoming the challenges on offer will require interdisciplinary collaboration and advancements in technology to unlock all these benefits fully.