Analysis, in the monitoring and follow-up of Covid

19 patients, using digital technologies. A review of

the scientific literature
Cristobal Mondalgo-Rodriguez
Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Lima, Perú, cmondalgo@autonoma.edu.pe

Michael Cabanillas-Carbonell
Universidad Autónoma del Perú, Lima, Perú, mcabanillas@ieee.org

Abstract
The world is currently experiencing a health crisis over SARS-CoV-2 disease. It is therefore
important to follow up and monitor the patient on the disease. The study conducted is a review of
the scientific literature, which includes 158 articles from the databases; EBSCO Host, IEEE
Xplore, Medline Full Text, ScienceDirect and Scopus. According to our inclusion and exclusion
criteria, 30 articles were systematized. Showing the digital technologies that facilitate the control,
follow-up and monitoring of the disease in patients.

Keywords: Monitoring and control, digital technologies, systematic review.

Introduction
SARS-CoV-2 (called Covid 19), is a disease that generates various symptoms to the patient's
body, including shortness of breath, tiredness, malaise, chest pain or pressure, etc. When the
symptoms become very serious, it can even lead to the patient's death. Those in charge of public
health do not keep an adequate control or follow up of all the patients, causing some patients to
die. (Shaw, Kim and Hua, 2020).

Therefore, the aim is to learn about the use of digital technologies, to facilitate proper control,
follow-up and monitoring of infected patients and improve response times between one patient
and another, this prevention in practice saves lives. (Lee et al., 2020).

The review of the scientific literature, allows to look for or to solve the problems that at the
moment the dependencies of the public health suffer on the control, pursuit and monitoring of the
patient on the disease. (Kamel and Geraghty, 2020).

Methodology
A. Type of Study
For the elaboration of the article, the systematic review of the scientific literature will be used.
Yordanov et al., 2020.

B. Research Questions
The proposed research questions are as follows;
RQ1. What digital technologies allow a better control, follow-up and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with the disease?
RQ2. What digital technologies can be used for the control and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with the disease, from public health centers?

C. Search Strategies
To answer the research questions, a search was made of articles published in the main databases
EBSCO Host, IEEE Xplore, Medline Full Text, ScienceDirect and Scopus. Where 158 scientific
articles were collected.

When applying the search for our research, the following keywords have been considered: “covid-
19 technology”, “monitoring patients with covid 19 using ti”, “tracing patients with covid 19 using
ti”, “covid information technologies”, “covid-19 monitoring patients”, “covid-19 AND
monitoring” “covid 19 AND patient”, “covid 19 and monitoring”, “covid 19 monitoring
software”, “covid it”, “covid-19 and technology and monitor patients”.

Fig 1. Prisma Diagram Methodology

D. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

For the systematic review study, the following inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied in the
following table.
Table 1: Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Criteria
I01 Articles related to digital technologies for the Covid 19
I02 Medical articles related to technologies for the Covid
Inclusion
19.
I03 Articles related to the monitoring of patients Covid 19.
E01 Articles not related to the technologies used in Covi 19
E02 Articles not related to the monitoring of patients Covid
Exclusion 19.
E03 Articles related to patient monitoring, but does not
make use of digital technologies.
Results
We analyzed 158 articles found in the databases related to the research topic, of which 20
duplicated articles were discarded or did not contribute similar topics to the research. After
reviewing the articles, 30 were selected, excluding 108 according to the exclusion criteria and that
did not contribute to answer the research question. Obtaining 30 articles for the systematic review.

Fig 2. Document inclusion and exclusion flowchart

This graph shows the number of items found by the database.

Fig 3. Items by database

This graph shows the number of articles published per month and database.

Fig 4. Articles by month and database

This graph shows the number of articles published per continent

.
Fig 5. Articles by Continent

This graph shows the number of selected articles published by country.

Fig 6. Articles by country

This graph shows the number of selected items grouped by database and category.

Fig 7. Articles by database and category

The following table shows the article classification categories according to the results found.

Table 2: Tabularization of articles according to the results of obtained

Categories Articles
Mobile Application (Azad et al., 2020); (Cheng and Hao, 2020);
(Islam et al., 2020)

Technological tools (Abuhammad, Khabour and Alzoubi, 2020)

The Internet of Things (Siriwardhana et al., 2020)

(Naik et al., 2020); (Nijsingh, Bergen and

Contact tracking technology using mobile
equipment
Wild, 2020); (Mbunge, 2020); (Gomez et al.,
2020); (Leslie, 2020); (Taiwo and Ezugwu,
2020); (Wu et al., 2020); (Martínez et al.,
2020); (Martínez et al., 2020); (Gerke et al.,
2020); (Walrave, Waeterloos and Ponnet,
2020); (Annis et al., 2020); (Kleinman and
Merkel, 2020); (Wang, Ding and Xiong,
2020); (Cascón, 2020); (Coghlan, Cheong and
Coghlan, 2020); (Culnane, Leins and
Rubinstein, 2020); (Culnane, Leins and
Rubinstein, 2020); (Van De Beek et al., 2020);
(Lucivero et al., 2020); (Urbaczewski and Lee,
2020)

Technology and Health Policy (Shaw, Kim and Hua, 2020); (Lee et al., 2020)

Digital Technologies (Kamel and Geraghty, 2020)

 Categories Articles
Telesurveillance (Yordanov et al., 2020)

The following table shows the classification topics of articles according to the results found.

Table 3: Classification of articles according to categories and topics of functionality

Themes and functionality References

These articles argue that mobile applications
allow control and monitoring of patients with (Azad et al., 2020); (Cheng and Hao,
the disease, as long as it is connected to a health 2020); (Islam et al., 2020)
control system.

These articles argue that technological tools

allow the control and monitoring of patients (Abuhammad, Khabour and Alzoubi, 2020)
with the disease using technologies in general.

This article argues that the use of the

technologies of the Internet of things allows to
(Siriwardhana et al., 2020)
develop and to lean on the technologies of the
telemedicine, telehealth, etc.

(Naik et al., 2020); (Nijsingh, Bergen and

Wild, 2020); (Mbunge, 2020); (Gomez et
al., 2020); (Leslie, 2020); (Taiwo and
Ezugwu, 2020); (Wu et al., 2020);
(Martínez et al., 2020); (Martínez et al.,
2020); (Gerke et al., 2020); (Walrave,
These articles argue that the use of contact-
Waeterloos and Ponnet, 2020); (Annis et
tracking technology using mobile equipment
al., 2020); (Kleinman and Merkel, 2020);
allows for the control of patient follow-up using
(Wang, Ding and Xiong, 2020); (Cascón,
data privacy.
2020); (Coghlan, Cheong and Coghlan,
2020); (Culnane, Leins and Rubinstein,
2020); (Culnane, Leins and Rubinstein,
2020); (Van De Beek et al., 2020);
(Lucivero et al., 2020); (Urbaczewski and
Lee, 2020)

These articles argue that the use of technology

and health policies used in patient care should (Shaw, Kim and Hua, 2020); (Lee et al.,
be supported by technology in the use of 2020)
disease control and monitoring systems.

This article argues that the use of Digital

Technologies allows the automation of (Kamel and Geraghty, 2020)
processes related to the control and monitoring
 Themes and functionality References
of patients diagnosed with the disease.

This article argues that Telesurveillance allows

the patient to be seen through the internet from
(Yordanov et al., 2020)
a mobile device, pc, etc. In order to be able to
control and monitor the disease.

Discussions
In this systematic investigation of the scientific literature, the aim is to answer the proposed
questions;
RQ1. What digital technologies allow a better control, follow-up and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with the disease?

According to Figure 5, it can be seen that the articles related to our topic in mention come from the
continents of Asia, North America and Europe (from highest to lowest). This result indicates that
there is a greater knowledge of the technologies related to the control and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with the disease.

According to Figure 6, it can be seen that the articles related to our topic in mention come mostly
from the countries of the USA and China. This result indicates that there is greater experience in
the control and follow-up of patients diagnosed with the disease.

According to figure 7, it can be seen that the articles related to our topic in mention use the
technology of; contact tracking, health policies, mobile application, etc. This result indicates that
these technological categories allow controlling the follow-up of patients diagnosed with the
disease.

According to Table I, you can see the categories of articles related to our topic in mention use the
technology of "Contact Tracing using Mobile Equipment". This result indicates that this category
is one of the most used to control the follow-up of patients diagnosed with the disease.

RQ2. What digital technologies can be used for the control and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with the disease, from public health centers?

According to figure 7, it can be seen that the articles related to our topic in mention use the
technology of; contact tracking, health policies, mobile application, etc. This result indicates that
these technological categories allow controlling the follow-up of patients diagnosed with the
disease.

According to Table I, the categories of articles related to our topic in mention use the "Mobile
Application" (The mobile application must be connected to a matrix health system which provides
patient information). This result indicates that this category is one of the most used to control the
follow-up of patients diagnosed with the disease.
According to Table II, we can see the functionalities of the categories of articles related to our
topic in mention, using "Technology and Health Policies". This result indicates that this category
related to the use of systems interconnected to mobile applications allows to control the follow-up
of patients diagnosed with the disease. Since it allows the use of systems.

Conclusions
After having made the systematic investigation of the scientific literature of 30 articles related to
the topic in mention, it is concluded what;

The tools or technologies that allow a better control in the follow-up and monitoring of patients
diagnosed with COVID 19 disease, are the technologies associated with "Contact Tracing using
Mobile Equipment", "Technology and Health Policies" and "Mobile Applications" connected to a
health control system.

In addition, most patients accept the implementation of technology in contact tracking to track
COVID-19 disease, as long as privacy data security is applied. Therefore, the use of technology in
"contact tracing" should be tempered with a focus on data privacy and cyber security.
The results of this systematic review may be helpful for future research on finding technologies
that allow the monitoring and follow-up of COVID 19 patients using digital technologies.

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