‘The Expansion of Telemedicine in Teleneurology’

At least 25 million Americans are currently diagnosed with 1 of 6,000 neurological diseases, the limited access to affordable healthcare only exacerbates those numbers and makes treatment and consistent care difficult. As the number of patients seeking neurological care rises, a shortage of neurologist has emerged, reducing access to neurological care for these patients even more. The gap between the patient and the neurologist will only begin to expand as the aging population grows in size. Telemedicine is an effective tool that has begun to reduce the impact of the gap as well as assist patients seeking neurological care who are burdened by barriers such as physical ailments or geographical distances.

 

Improvements and expansion of technology has allowed telemedicine to transform and stretch beyond the scope that it is has previously been limited to.  Since 1999, stroke care via telemedicine has been an effective tool in improving the quality of care, expanding access to care and increasing treatment rates. Twenty-one years later and telemedicine is finally spreading among medical professionals as a necessary mechanism in improving patient care overall.

 

As telemedicine has a history with stroke care, it is vital to examine how telemedicine can and has been used with patients in need of various kinds of neurological care. As research on telemedicine and its capabilities increases, there will be more information on ways telemedicine can be utilized to improve patient care. Telemedicine directly related to neurological care or teleneurology, has been applied in different settings with varying intentions on how assist and inform patients about their care and gives practitioners the tools to improve the ability to administer care.

 

Telemedicine provides increased access to medical specialists

Medical specialists are often needed when a general practitioner realizes the scope of a patient’s aliments are too large or specific for them to provide the best care possible. Specialist often have to travel from larger hospitals to tend to patients or the patient has to travel to the area a specialist is located. Telemedicine allows immediate access to a medical specialist without having to leave the local hospital or travel at all. In the case of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease and Huntington’s disease, specialists are often called upon for early diagnosis and skilled management of the movement disorder, quicker access means quicker diagnosis, resulting in higher patient satisfaction.

 

In two separate studies, researchers found that a teleneurology evaluation for Parkinson’s Disease resulted in medication changes, referrals for therapy and support groups and improvement in depression and anxiety. Medical specialists can even provide specialized therapy remotely. One study found a reduction in tic frequency in patients with Parkinson’s who have been treated with behavioral teletheapry.

 

 

Telemedicine can accurately be conducted remotely

Not only do some Americans have a hard time getting access to a consultation from a medical specialist, many have limited to no access to medical care at all. Telemedicine is useful because many people throughout the United States who live in rural areas suffer because of lack of access.  Implementing telemedicine in more rural hospitals allows patients to receive the same level of care and attention without a physical presence.

 

In neurological disorders such as dementia, a large part of the evaluation process is an interview which can be completed with telemedicine implementation. In fact, in some cases practitioners found virtual access more rewarding. Teleneurology allows physician to evaluate patients in their home, which provides clues to barriers to care and allows them visual access to other safety concerns within the home that would be otherwise unknown. In research that evaluated the accuracy of diagnosing in-person in comparison to telemedicine, researchers found no discernable difference in care.

 

Telemedicine reduces the travel burden on patients and practitioners

In a study examining telemedicine it found, 17 of the 30 telemedicine clinic sessions described in the study would have been cancelled because of time constraints if the physician had to travel to a remote site. Telemedicine allowed the physician to see more patients from greater distances faster without having to factor in a commute. 

 

With many neurological disorders, travelling to see a physician can be a daunting, but lifesaving endeavor. Patients suffering from MS have often struggled with traveling, not having access to a bathroom and sitting still for long periods of time can only aggravate symptoms. Telemedicine is often viewed as an attractive option that prevents those problems. One study found that the use of telemedicine allowed shorter, more focused consultations as well as saved patients an average of 160 miles of travel time.

 

 

Telemedicine is a cost-effective solution for long term evaluation

Not only can traveling be hard on a patient’s body, it has often been known to damage one’s pockets. Practitioners and patients both are tasked with traveling far distances to provide or receive care which often becomes expensive. One study showed that patients who needed to travel for specialized care and were able to use a telemedicine option reduced their usual cost of overnight lodging by 17%. Telemedicine saves time which in return saves money. The same study found that patients using telemedicine reduced missed days of work by 65%.

 

For patients who receive long term care like patients with Parkinson’s disease, the average cost per visit for patients examined through teleneurology was significantly lower than that patients examined in-person. Even if a patient does not have long term care needs, teleneurology reduces the amount of time a patient has to spend in the hospital, cutting down the cost of hospital bills. 

 

Telemedicine is an assessment tool comparable to in-person doctor visits

Early diagnosis of concussion is vital to prevent further damage. Telemedicine can be utilized as an early assessment tool especially for rural areas lacking access to hospitals. Two studies found that 3 months after an initial injury, patients with traumatic brain injuries experienced more effective counseling and education through telemedicine compared to in-person treatment by decreasing symptom burden, impact of symptoms on daily functioning and improving quality of life. After a traumatic brain injury has begun to heal, telemedicine is often used to evaluate test to determine anything from athletes’ return-to-play decisions to soldiers’ return-to-duty dates. Studies covering multiple neurological disorders found no major difference in the ability for telemedicine physicians to assess patient need, diagnosis patients and provide solutions to treat patients in comparison to in-person evaluation.

 

The American Academy of Neurology, affirms the use of telemedicine has been beneficial for patient and practitioner, providing earlier access to specialized care, reduction in patient and caregiver burden and improvement in patient satisfaction. Telemedicine in relation to teleneurology provides patients suffering neurological disorders much needed relief to their daily lives allowing them to get back to their normal routine.

 

SOC Telemed has multiple tele-based solutions such as Telemed IQ, teleNeurology, telePsychiatry and teleICU that have been utilized to the benefit of the patient and the practicing physician. SOC Telemed is the leading provider of acute telemedicine and has over 200 practicing physicians that provide telemedicine consults to patients in more than 500 hospitals across the United States. The use of telemedicine is the entire SOC telemed platform. SOC Telemed are advocates of the ability to transform healthcare by enabling patients to have increased access to the highest quality care through a technology-enabled solution. Telemedicine will only continue to expand in the coming years never replacing the need for physical doctors but assisting doctors in treatment and helping patients feel secure in knowing care for their well-being does not stop when they walk out of hospital doors.