Telehealth in Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Care and Research

Overview

Journal Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep

Specialty Neurology

Date 2021 Mar 1

PMID 33646409

Citations 12

Authors

Xinran Maria Xiang

Jacqueline Bernard

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose Of Review: The COVID-19 pandemic has provided us with a unique opportunity to experiment with telehealth and evaluate its benefits and limitations. This review discusses the impact of telehealth on multiple sclerosis (MS) care and research in adults and children.

Recent Findings: Telehealth visits for MS patients have been shown to reduce missed workdays and costs for patients. Brief telephone-based counseling may be associated with better adherence to disease-modifying therapy, although results of multiple home-based tele-rehabilitation for people with MS have been equivocal. Overall, patients and providers have reported high levels of satisfactions with telehealth. Several remote disability measures and numerous other technological tools have emerged for use in remote MS research and care. Major challenges of telehealth include limitations to performing a complete neurologic exam and disparities in access to telehealth amongst vulnerable populations with limited access to virtual platforms. Following the rapid expansion of telehealth during the pandemic, it is highly likely that we will continue to embrace the benefits of this valuable tool. Future directions for improving telehealth should include more evidence-based research on the diagnostic accuracy in neuroimmunology and reducing disparities in the access to telehealth.

Citing Articles

Implementing proximity care for people with multiple sclerosis in Italy: the bottom-up approach of the StayHome project.

Filippi M, Gallo P, Gasperini C, Marfia G, Avolio C, Bergamaschi R J Neurol. 2025; 272(1):96.

PMID: 39775071 PMC: 11706871. DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12749-8.

Telerehabilitation from the perspective of patients and healthcare providers: A 3-year follow-up study.

Braga L, Oliveira S, Souza L NeuroRehabilitation. 2024; 55(1):103-115.

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Wearable sensor and smartphone assisted vestibular physical therapy for multiple sclerosis: usability and outcomes.

Meldrum D, Kearney H, Hutchinson S, McCarthy S, Quinn G Front Rehabil Sci. 2024; 5:1406926.

PMID: 39050817 PMC: 11267627. DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2024.1406926.

A Review on the Feasibility and Efficacy of Home-Based Cognitive Remediation in People with Multiple Sclerosis.

Boschetti A, Maida E, Dini M, Tacchini M, Gamberini G, Comi G J Clin Med. 2024; 13(7).

PMID: 38610681 PMC: 11012426. DOI: 10.3390/jcm13071916.

Building digital patient pathways for the management and treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Wenk J, Voigt I, Inojosa H, Schlieter H, Ziemssen T Front Immunol. 2024; 15:1356436.

PMID: 38433832 PMC: 10906094. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1356436.

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