Opinion statement
Remote consultation via telemedicine for neurologic indications is in the mainstream. This holds most true for cerebrovascular concerns such as acute stroke, but its use has extended into most of the breadth of neurologic subspecialty practice. This is ostensibly a major advance for enhancing access to neurologic specialty care and a path toward better outcomes overall. Currently, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials and health economic analyses to support this conclusion. The continued use and expansion of teleneurologic practice is encouraged, so long as it is accompanied by clinical data tracking and leads to more randomized controlled trials. A solid evidence base should be established for its use such that future trials and monetary investments can be made with a better understanding of what teleneurology has to offer patients and society.
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Conflicts of Interest
Bart M. Demaerschalk has served on a board for CellTrust, has served as a consultant for Genentech and REACH, and has held stock/stock options in CellTrust.
Mark N. Rubin declares that he has no conflict of interest. Kay E. Wellik declares that she has no conflict of interest. Dwight D. Channer declares that he has no conflict of interest.
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Rubin, M.N., Wellik, K.E., Channer, D.D. et al. Role of Telemedicine in Providing Tertiary Neurological Care. Curr Treat Options Neurol 15, 567–582 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-013-0247-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11940-013-0247-4
Keywords
- Teleneurology
- Telestroke
- Teleconference
- Videoconference
- Audio/visual
- Telemedicine
- Remote consultation
- Systematic review
- Behavioral
- Brain injury
- Critical care
- Epilepsy
- Headache
- Infectious disease
- Movement disorder
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuro-oncology
- Neuro-ophthalmology
- Neuro-otology
- Neurodegenerative
- Neurohospitalist
- Neurorehabilitation
- Pain
- Pediatric neurology
- Sleep