Implementation of a Teleneurology Clinic in Zambia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and benefits of a teleneurology clinic serving adults usually attending a neurology outpatient clinic in Lusaka, Zambia during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: Televisits were offered to patients scheduled for neurology appointments between March and July 2020 using the telephone, WhatsApp video, or Zoom calls based on patient accessibility. Visit outcomes were documented, and patient and neurologist satisfaction surveys were completed.

Results: Of 323 patients, 195 (60%) were reachable by telephone, 179 of these were alive, and 74% (133/179) of those alive agreed to a televisit. Stroke (30%), seizures (20%), and headache (16%) were the most common diagnoses seen via televisit. Most televisits (80%) were by telephone call, 14% by WhatsApp video call, and 6% by Zoom. Nearly one-third (30%) of the patients were stable and discharged from the clinic, 32% only required medication refills, and 19% required an in-person visit. Sixty patients (out of 85 reachable and 71% response rate) and 7 of 9 neurologists (78% response rate) completed satisfaction surveys. Neurologists reported greater assessment confidence with Zoom, but confidence was high for all modalities. Patients preferring televisits (75%, 45/60) noted reduced expense and time requirements, whereas those preferring in-person visits (22%, 13/60) cited the desire for physical examinations. Overall, 98% of patients and 100% of neurologists were satisfied with televisits.

Interpretation: Teleneurology visits were acceptable and feasible for adults attending an outpatient neurology clinic in Zambia and their neurologists. They offer a promising supplement to in-person visits in resource-limited settings, even when video-conference capabilities and electronic medical records are absent. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:445-454.

FIGURE 1

Study flow diagram. **Those who refused to respond to the survey reported that they did not remember the televisit. We postulate that it is likely that the caregiver who was reached was different from the one contacted at the initial televisit phone call, or the owner of the telephone number had changed, or the individual did not want to give a specific reason for refusal.

FIGURE 2

Patient and neurologist satisfaction survey instruments.

FIGURE 3

Outcomes of televisits represented as a percentage of the total number of televisits (n = 133). *The majority of the discharged patients were stable patients who had undergone a stroke and only required continued stroke risk factor management by primary care physicians.