Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun;9(2):72-81.
doi: 10.1007/s13670-020-00311-z. Epub 2020 Mar 14.

Telemedicine: A valuable tool in neurodegenerative diseases

Jamie L Adams  1   2 , Taylor L Myers  1 , Emma M Waddell  1 , Kelsey L Spear  1 , Ruth B Schneider  1   2
Affiliations

Telemedicine: A valuable tool in neurodegenerative diseases

Jamie L Adams et al. Curr Geriatr Rep. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), is rising as the global population ages. Access to specialist care, which improves outcomes, is insufficient and disease-related disability makes in-person physician visits burdensome. Telehealth is one potential means for improving access to care. The purpose of this manuscript is to review recent publications on telemedicine in AD and PD.

Recent findings: Telemedicine is feasible in AD and PD and acceptable to patients and their caregivers. Compared with in-person visits, telemedicine reduces visit-associated travel and time. Telemedicine can be used for rehabilitative therapies, to administer cognitive tests, and to support caregivers. Access to telemedicine results in changes in patient care including medication adjustments and referrals for therapies and supports.

Summary: The use of telemedicine in AD and PD stands to decrease burden on patients and increase access to specialty care. Barriers to the expansion of telemedicine care include lack of widespread broadband access, state licensure requirements, and inconsistent reimbursement. More outcomes-based prospective telemedicine studies are needed.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s dementia; Parkinson’s disease; Telehealth; healthcare disparities; virtual visits.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors each declare no conflicts of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Prince M, Bryce R, Albanese E, Wimo A, Ribeiro W, Ferri CP. The global prevalence of dementia: a systematic review and metaanalysis. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(1):63–75 e2. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2012.11.007. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Collaborators GBDPsD. Global, regional, and national burden of Parkinson’s disease, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2018;17(11):939–53. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30295-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR. The Emerging Evidence of the Parkinson Pandemic. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(s1):S3–S8. doi:10.3233/JPD-181474. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Willis AW, Schootman M, Tran R, Kung N, Evanoff BA, Perlmutter JS et al. Neurologist-associated reduction in PD-related hospitalizations and health care expenditures. Neurology. 2012;79(17):1774–80. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182703f92. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Willis AW, Schootman M, Evanoff BA, Perlmutter JS, Racette BA. Neurologist care in Parkinson disease: a utilization, outcomes, and survival study. Neurology. 2011;77(9):851–7. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e31822c9123. - DOI - PMC - PubMed