Telemedicine to Address Inequities in Access to Primary Health Care for Minority Groups: A protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundThe present article outlines the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at consolidating the available evidence on how telemedicine can reduce inequities in access to Primary Health Care (PHC) among minority populations. The review seeks to identify barriers, facilitators, and factors that influence the effectiveness of this intervention across different settings. MethodsThis protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis is reported in line with Prisma-P and the results will be reported using PRISMA-E flowchart. The eligibility criteria was defined using the PICOS approach. Population is minority groups that have used telemedicine, the intervention is synchronous and asynchronous telemedicine, the comparator will consist of minority groups that have received usual care, outcome is access to primary health care and we will include randomized controlled trials. We will search MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Latina American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS) databases. The risk of bias will be assessed using the ROBINS-I and the confidence in cumulative evidence will be assessed using the GRADE equity tool. DiscussionIt is expected to provide pragmatic results, such supporting decision-making regarding the creation and implementation of new public policies, the development of clinical guidelines, and the optimization of resources aimed at equitable access. Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42024581305