Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Saggi

No. 135 (2025)

Telemedicine and pediatrics: The key skills for effective remote patient care

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/mesa2025-135oa23137
Submitted
giugno 24, 2026
Published
2026-10-01

Abstract

The disruptive process of digitization in the healthcare system has led healthcare professionals to interact daily with innovative tools and practices, such as digitized medical records, advanced surgical robotics, and telemedicine. In particular, since the pandemic began, the use of telemedicine has increased significantly, offering a new way of caring for patients remotely. This study aims to investigate the dynamics related to the adoption of these tools in pediatrics, with a particular focus on the expectations of parents, who are the direct representatives of children’s needs. Using a Delphi analysis, 17 competencies and related behaviors were identified as essential for pediatricians to effectively deliver pediatric telemedicine services, clearly distinguishing between what professionals need to know and be able to do (competencies) and the concrete actions to be taken during remote visits (behaviors).

References

  1. Alnasser Y., Grande N., Masood F., Powell C., & Gilman R. H. (2025). Be smart and use smartphones for telemedicine: narrative review. mHealth, 11, 39. DOI: 10.21037/mhealth-24-71.
  2. Amna A. F. (2020). Telemedicine in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond: A new horizon. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal.
  3. Bavare A. C., Goldman J. R., Musick M. A., Sembera K. A., Sardual A. A., Lam A. K., ... & Williams E. A. (2021). Virtual communication embedded bedside ICU rounds: a hybrid rounds practice adapted to the coronavirus pandemic. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 22(8): e427-e436.
  4. Boyatzis R. E. (1991). The competent manager: A model for effective performance. John Wiley & Sons.
  5. Cherniwchan H. R. (2022). Harnessing new and existing virtual platforms to meet the demand for increased inpatient palliative care services during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 5 key themes literature review of the characteristics and barriers of these evolving technologies. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, 39(5): 591-597.
  6. Costa G. (1993). Investimento in capitale umano e gestione del valore delle risorse umane.
  7. Costa G., & Gianecchini M. (2013). Risorse umane: persone, relazioni e valore (Vol. 3). McGraw-Hill.
  8. De Montmollin M. (1984). L’intelligence de la tâche: éléments d’ergonomie cognitive. Lang.
  9. Dhahri A. A., De Thabrew A. U., Ladva N., & Pardoe H. (2021). The benefits and risks of the provision of a hospital-wide high-definition video conferencing virtual visiting service for patients and their relatives. Cureus, 13(2).
  10. Drucker P. (2012). Post-capitalist society. Routledge.
  11. Elma A., Cook D., Howard M., Takaoka A., Hoad N., Swinton M., ... & Vanstone M. (2022). Use of video technology in end-of-life care for hospitalized patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Critical Care, 31(3): 240-248.
  12. Finkelstein J.B., Cahill D., Young K., Humphrey K., Campbell J., Schumann C. et al. (2020). Telemedicine for pediatric urological postoperative care is safe, convenient and economical. J Urol, Jul, 204(1): 144-148. DOI: 10.1097/JU.0000000000000750.
  13. Finkelstein J. B., Tremblay E. S., Van Cain M., Farber-Chen A., Schumann C., Brown C., Shah A. S., & Rhodes E. T. (2021). Pediatric Clinicians’ Use of Telemedicine: Qualitative Interview Study. JMIR human factors, 8(4), e29941. DOI: 10.2196/29941.
  14. Hart A., Romney D., Sarin R., Mechanic O., Hertelendy A. J., Larson D., ... & Ciottone G. R. (2022). Developing telemedicine curriculum competencies for graduate medical education: Outcomes of a modified delphi process. Academic Medicine, 97(4): 577-585.
  15. Hincapié M. A., Gallego J. C., Gempeler A., Piñeros J. A., Nasner D., & Escobar M. F. (2020). Implementation and usefulness of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review. Journal of primary care & community health, 11, 2150132720980612.
  16. Jortberg B. T., Beck Dallaghan G. L., Schatte D., Christner J., & Ryan M. S. (2022). Expansion of telehealth curriculum: National survey of clinical education leaders. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 28(6): 464-468.
  17. Kennedy N. R., Steinberg A., Arnold R. M., Doshi A. A., White D. B., DeLair W., ... & Elmer J. (2021). Perspectives on telephone and video communication in the intensive care unit during COVID-19. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 18(5): 838-847.
  18. Lesher A.P., Shah S.R. (2018). Telemedicine in the perioperative experience. Semin Pediatr Surg, Apr 27, (2): 102-106. DOI: 10.1053/j.sempedsurg.2018.02.007.
  19. Lorusso S., Battilomo S., Boldrini R., & Latella G. P. (2025). Italian health data system: current data interconnection and digital health ecosystem evolution. The Lancet regional health. Europe, 51, 101259. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101259.
  20. Macwilliam J., Hennessey I., & Cleary G. (2021). Telemedicine: improving clinical care and medical education in paediatrics. Paediatrics and Child Health, 31(10): 388-396.
  21. McClelland D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for “intelligence”. American psychologist, 28(1), 1.
  22. McConnochie K.M., Wood N.E., Kitzman H.J., Herendeen N.E., Roy J., Roghmann K.J. (2005). Telemedicine reduces absence resulting from illness in urban child care: evaluation of an innovation. Pediatrics, May, 115(5): 1273-1282. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2004-0335.
  23. Melina A. M., Reina R., & Vesperi, W. (2023). Impact of telemedicine on home healthcare: an empirical analysis. Mecosan, 125(1): 47-60.
  24. Ministero dell’economia e delle finanze (2021). Il Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR).
  25. Ministero della Salute (2014). Telemedicina – Linee di indirizzo nazionale.
  26. Ministero della Salute (2020). Indicazioni Nazionali per l’erogazione di prestazioni in telemedicina. Versione, 4, 27.
  27. Ministero della Salute (2022). DECRETO 23 maggio 2022, n. 77 (DM77).
  28. Ministero dalla Salute (2022). DECRETO 22 settembre 2022, n. 209 (DM209).
  29. Nonaka I., & Takeuchi H. (2007). The knowledge-creating company. Harvard business review, 85(7/8): 162.
  30. Oberländer M., Beinicke A., & Bipp T. (2020). Digital competencies: A review of the literature and applications in the workplace. Computers & Education, 146, 103752.
  31. Osservatori Digital Innovation (2025). La spesa per la sanità digitale cresce a 2,47 miliardi di euro, +12% con l’AI oltre due settimane di lavoro l’anno di potenziale risparmio per i medici di famiglia. Primi germogli della trasformazione digitale del Sistema Sanitario.
  32. Otte H. R., Østergaard D., Meyhoff C. S., Clausen N. E., Bendixen G., & Linderoth G. (2022). Introducing video calls in an intensive care unit during the COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study. Danish medical journal, 69(6): 2-9.
  33. Perrella A., & Bisogno M. (2025). The strength and resilience of Italy’s health data system. The Lancet regional health. Europe, 51, 101255. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2025.101255.
  34. Parretti C., La Regina M., Tortu C., Candido G., & Tartaglia R. (2023). Telemedicine in Italy, the starting point. Internal and emergency medicine, 18(3): 949-951. DOI: 10.1007/s11739-022-03176-6.
  35. Penrose E. T. (1959). The Theory of the Growth of the Firm. Oxford university press.
  36. Piscopo G., Mormile S., Adinolfi P., & Piotrowski A. (2023). Digital health, telemedicine, and patient-centeredness: new trends for Italian healthcare after Covid-19. Mecosan, 125(1): 29-46.
  37. Poncette A. S., Glauert D. L., Mosch L., Braune K., Balzer F., & Back D. A. (2020). Undergraduate medical competencies in digital health and curricular module development: mixed methods study. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(10), e22161.
  38. Prahalad C K and Hamel G (1990). “The Core Competenceof the Corporation,” Harvard Business Review, 68(3): 79-93.
  39. Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri (2021). Indicazioni nazionali per l’erogazione di prestazioni e servizi di teleriabilitazione da parte delle professioni sanitarie.
  40. Rose L., Yu L., Casey J., Cook A., Metaxa V., Pattison N., ... & Meyer J. (2021). Communication and virtual visiting for families of patients in intensive care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a UK national survey. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 18(10): 1685-1692.
  41. Schifano J., & Niederberger M. (2025). How Delphi studies in the health sciences find consensus: a scoping review. Systematic reviews, 14(1), 14. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-024-02738-3.
  42. Scott T. E., Costich M., Fiorino E. K., & Black N. P. (2023). Using a modified Delphi methodology to identify essential telemedicine skills for pediatric residents. Academic Pediatrics, 23(3): 511-517.
  43. Selznick P. (1948). Foundations of the theory of organization. American sociological review, 13(1): 25-35.
  44. Shunker S. A. (2022). Virtual visiting in intensive care during COVID-19. Australian Critical Care, 35, S16.
  45. Spencer L. M., & Spencer P. S. M. (1993). Competence at Work models for superior performance. John Wiley & Sons.
  46. Van Galen L. S., Wang C. J., Nanayakkara P. W. B., Paranjape K., Kramer M. H. H., & Car J. (2019). Telehealth requires expansion of physicians’ communication competencies training. Medical teacher, 41(6): 714-715.
  47. Ventoruzzo G., Caremani M. (2021). La sanità che vorrei, Pubblica, equa, efficace: costruita insieme ai professionisti. -- (https://areariservata.uslcentro.toscana.it/images/LA-SANITA-CHE-VORREI.pdf#page=64).
  48. Webb H., Parson M., Hodgson L. E., & Daswani K. (2020). Virtual visiting and other technological adaptations for critical care. Future healthcare journal, 7(3): e93-e95.
  49. Wiig K. (1993). Knowledge Management Foundations: Thinking about Thinking: How People and Organizations Create, Represent, and Us eKnowledge, SchemaPress, Arlington,TX.
  50. World Health Organization (2022). Consolidated telemedicine implementation guide. World Health Organization.