Child neurology telemedicine: Analyzing 14 820 patient encounters during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dev Med Child Neurol
; 65(3): 406-415, 2023 Mar.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38767061
ABSTRACT
AIM:
To determine the long-term impact of telemedicine in child neurology care during the COVID-19 pandemic and with the reopening of outpatient clinics.METHOD:
We performed an observational cohort study of 34 837 in-person visits and 14 820 telemedicine outpatient visits across 26 399 individuals. We assessed differences in care across visit types, time-period observed, time between follow-ups, patient portal activation rates, and demographic factors.RESULTS:
We observed a higher proportion of telemedicine for epilepsy (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision G40 odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-1.5) and a lower proportion for movement disorders (G25 OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.8; R25 OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.6-0.9) relative to in-person visits. Infants were more likely to be seen in-person after reopening clinics than by telemedicine (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5-1.8) as were individuals with neuromuscular disorders (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5-1.7). Self-reported racial and ethnic minority populations and those with highest social vulnerability had lower telemedicine participation rates (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.8-0.8; OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.7-0.8).INTERPRETATION:
Telemedicine continued to be utilized even once in-person clinics were available. Pediatric epilepsy care can often be performed using telemedicine while young patients with neuromuscular disorders often require in-person assessment. Prominent barriers for socially vulnerable families and racial and ethnic minorities persist.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Telemedicina
/
COVID-19
/
Neurología
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Infant
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article