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
. 2022 Jul;12(3):476-483.
doi: 10.1177/19418744221100364. Epub 2022 May 12.

Inpatient Telemedicine for Neurology Consultation at Satellite Hospitals: Patient and Provider Perspectives

Juneja Pj  1 , Tolczyk Am  2 , Strowd Re  2 , Strauss Ld  2 , Graham R  2 , Burton L  2 , Michael C  3 , Ezzeddine M  2 , Pharr Ep  2 , Boggs J  2 , Kumar S  2 , O'Donovan C  2 , Tegeler Ct  2 , Amy K Guzik  2
Affiliations

Inpatient Telemedicine for Neurology Consultation at Satellite Hospitals: Patient and Provider Perspectives

Juneja Pj et al. Neurohospitalist. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Describe an inpatient teleneurology consultation service novel to our hospital system, and capture feedback from patients, ordering providers, and consulting neurologists. Methods: A single cohort of teleneurology consult patients was surveyed via telephone. Ordering and consulting providers completed online surveys. Quantitative survey data was reported using descriptive statistics and free-response survey data was summarized. Patient demographics and consult data were gathered via retrospective chart review. Results: Telephone survey was obtained from 25 of 53 patients receiving teleneurology consults from June 1-September 30, 2020. Patient-reported benefits included better understanding of condition (72%) and ability to remain close to home. Online surveys were completed by 11 ordering providers and by consulting neurologists on 20 telemedicine encounters. Ordering providers reported they were likely to use the service again (98.7%), agreed it added value to patient care (91%) and was valued by patients (82%), with concern for missed diagnosis (46%) and potential patient transfer (36%) without the service. In contrast, fewer consulting neurologists predicted need for transfer (5%) or missed diagnosis (10%) in the absence of teleneurology, though 20% indicated that length of stay may increase without the service. Conclusion: We confirm feasibility of an inpatient teleneurology service run by an academic medical center. Satisfaction was high among all key stakeholders, with few transfers to a tertiary care center. This service is valuable to patients, ordering providers, and potentially the hospital network, as a community based care model of neurological care, centered on the needs of the patient and hospitalist.

Keywords: neurohospitalist; telehealth; telemedicine; teleneurology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Consult volumes during pilot phase.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Consultant contribution to management plan.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Anticipated outcomes without teleconsult availability.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Wechsler LR, Demaerschalk BM, Schwamm LH, et al. Telemedicine quality and outcomes in stroke: A scientific statement for healthcare professionals from the american heart association/american stroke association. Stroke. 2017;48:e3-e25. doi:10.1161/STR0000000000000114 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Freeman WD, Vatz KA, Griggs RC, Pedley T. The workforce task force report: Clinical implications for neurology. Neurology. 2013;81:479-486. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829d8783 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dall TM, Storm MV, Chakrabarti R, et al. Supply and demand analysis of the current and future US neurology workforce. Neurology . 2013;81:470-478. doi:10.1212/WNL.0b013e318294b1cf - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hatcher-Martin JM, Adams JL, Anderson ER, et al. Telemedicine in neurology. telemedicine work group of the american academy of neurology update. Neurology 2020;94(1):30-38. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000008708 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Commiskey P, Afshinnik A, Cothren E, et al. Description of a novel telemedicine-enabled comprehensive system of care: Drip and ship plus drip and keep within a system of stroke care delivery. J Telemed Telecare. 2017;23(3):428-436. doi:10.1177/1357633X16637967 - DOI - PubMed