Telemedicine and telenursing have proven especially beneficial for patients with long-term illnesses that require regular monitoring (Commission on Telemedicine, 2008). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, as virtual consultations helped reduce infection risks while saving time and resources for urgent in-person care (Vidal-Alaball et al., 2020).

Although telemedicine has seen a steady increase over the past decades, its implementation in nursing homes and elderly care facilities lagged behind other sectors. This changed dramatically with the onset of COVID-19, as nursing home residents were particularly vulnerable to the virus. In the United Kingdom, a recent study found high willingness among nurses to use telemedicine during the pandemic, supported by mostly good technical infrastructure (McGee et al., 2020). Similarly, a French study highlighted the success of telemedicine in 36 nursing homes before the pandemic, underscoring its effectiveness during crisis management. The study concluded that telemedicine has "great potential to deliver efficient, appropriate, and safe care during highly transmissible disease epidemics, both for screening and management" (Cormi et al., 2020).

In New York, a meta-study reported increasing use of telehealth applications since 2014, with a notable uptick during the pandemic. The study found positive impacts such as reduced hospital admissions and improved access to specialized health professionals (Groom et al., 2021). Another study in the same context noted a significant rise in patients' readiness to use online consultations during COVID-19, although it also warned that existing disparities in healthcare access could worsen (Chunara et al., 2021).

The successful implementation of telemedicine in nursing settings relies heavily on proper training for the nurses using these tools. Rutledge and Gustin (2021) emphasized that the success of telemedicine is closely linked to organizational and structural support (Rutledge & Gustin, 2021).