Table 1 Facilitators and Barriers of applying tele-dentistry in oral medicine (scoping review 1991–2021)

Information

Applying patient information management tools

Ex: EHR^* [7], Open MRS^* [34]

Individual

Behavioral barriers [4, 19, 23, 35,36,37]

Following data quality criteria

Ex: Data completeness [5, 10, 24], Data accuracy [5, 10, 24, 36],Timeliness of data [38]

Lack of experience and skill [11, 21, 25, 39]

Skill

Communication skills [5]

Human error [8, 24]

Clinical skill [5, 25]

Ex: Clinical reasoning [5], Differential diagnosis construction [5]

Environmental

Inappropriate environmental conditions [1, 11, 12, 23, 40, 41]

Documentation skill [5]

Technical

Integration problems [3]

Participants digital skill [11]

Internet bandwidth problems [1, 23, 24]

Human resource

Use of experienced clinicians [5, 36]

Problems in data storing [3, 23, 24]

Using two remote clinicians and consultant [42]

Security and confidentiality problems [10, 26, 40]

Using a trained assistant to record videos and photos [43]

Photo quality problems [20, 24]

Technical

Cloud-based platform [44]

Problems in real time interpretation [35, 45]

Photography with smartphone [26, 38, 40, 46, 47]

Accessibility problems [7]

Photography with intra oral camera [19, 39, 48]

Regulation

legal and ethical issues [41]

Photography by intra oral camera with fluorescent aids [43, 48]

Prohibition of using some applications [20]

Video recording [43, 49, 50]

Organizational

Human resource problems [1, 23]

Video conferences [7, 12, 51]

Administrative Challenges [23]

Access to affordable technologies [12, 20, 34, 45]

Financial Barriers [1, 10]

User-friendly technologies [26, 45]

Lack of guidelines [1, 39]

Wide penetration of the smartphone [11, 34]

Lack of time management [23, 24]

Social media applications [20, 40, 52]

Clinical

Problems in Patient examination [11, 13, 35, 53]

Photo transmission speed between onsite and remote health provider [38]

Making diagnosis problems [23, 26, 45]

Digital pathology [50, 54]

Problems in performing treatment plan [55]

Financial

Reimbursement [7]

Free of charge tele medicine services [44]

Training and education

Providing a guideline for taking a photo [36, 39]

Providing adequate training [26]

Training (healthcare worker/ health aids) [26]

Training (patients) [11]

Administrative

collaboration and coordination between remote and hub sites [43]

Ex: Coordination before tele-consulting by SMS^* and phone call [5], Collection of patient clinical information before the appointment [5], Set adequate time for the appointment [5],

Collaboration between healthcare providers [5]

Involvement of local authorities [23]