27
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
1 collections
    0
    shares

      To submit your manuscript to JMIR, please click here

      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      Feasibility of real-time internet-based teleconsultation in patients with multiple sclerosis: interventional pilot study (Preprint)

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisher
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Background Telemedicine (TM) is currently flourishing in rural and emergency settings, but its implementation in the routine management of chronic neurological disorders has developed with more hesitation. Limited access to specialized care facilities and expanding patient populations, combined with unprecedented mobility restrictions imposed by the coronavirus disease pandemic, are currently stressing the need for remote solutions in this field. Studies in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been heterogeneous in objectives and methodology but generally support the concept that TM interventions produce clinical benefits, cost-effectiveness, and user satisfaction. Nonetheless, data on live interaction between patients and health care providers for MS teleconsultation purposes remain scarce. Objective The aim of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility of planned real time audiovisual teleconsultation over the internet for patients with MS. Methods A total of 20 patients with MS presenting at a specialized MS center in Belgium were recruited for this study. One teleconsultation was scheduled for each participant. Patients were provided a unique hyperlink by mail in advance, leading them automatically and directly to the virtual waiting room, where they could accept or decline our incoming call. All teleconsultations were performed by a trained medical student with the intention to keep the conversation similar to what is usually discussed during a classic face-to-face MS consultation; no remote physical exams were performed. The approach was considered feasible if at least 80% of the planned TM visits could be successfully completed at the foreseen moment. Patient satisfaction (technical quality, convenience, and overall quality of care) was evaluated at the end of each teleconsultation by means of 5-point Likert scales containing the categories very unsatisfied, unsatisfied, neutral, satisfied, and highly satisfied. Results Out of 20 consultations, 17 were successfully completed (85%). Failures were due to patients not responding (n=2) and technical issues (n=1). Out of the 17 consultations, 17 patients declared themselves satisfied or highly satisfied for technical quality, 15 patients for convenience, and 16 patients for overall quality of care. Conclusions Planned real time audiovisual teleconsultation over the internet is feasible and highly appreciated in patients with MS. Incorporation of such services in routine clinical MS practice is expected to improve access to specialized care facilities for affected patients.

          Related collections

          Most cited references30

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The epidemiology and pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak

          Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-COV2 and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. Based on the large number of infected people that were exposed to the wet animal market in Wuhan City, China, it is suggested that this is likely the zoonotic origin of COVID-19. Person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 infection led to the isolation of patients that were subsequently administered a variety of treatments. Extensive measures to reduce person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 have been implemented to control the current outbreak. Special attention and efforts to protect or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations including children, health care providers, and elderly people. In this review, we highlights the symptoms, epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, phylogenetic analysis and future directions to control the spread of this fatal disease.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Digital technology and COVID-19

            The past decade has allowed the development of a multitude of digital tools. Now they can be used to remediate the COVID-19 outbreak.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: not found
              • Article: not found

              Covid-19 and Health Care’s Digital Revolution

                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal of Medical Internet Research
                JMIR Publications Inc.
                1438-8871
                February 09 2020
                Article
                10.2196/18178
                817ce7dd-fc00-4372-8543-73e875814317
                © 2020
                History

                Comments

                Comment on this article