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Published in: Neurological Sciences 12/2013

01-12-2013 | Neurological Digression

Tele-Health and neurology: what is possible?

Authors: Francesca Timpano, Lilla Bonanno, Alessia Bramanti, Fabio Pirrotta, Letteria Spadaro, Placido Bramanti, Pietro Lanzafame

Published in: Neurological Sciences | Issue 12/2013

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Abstract

Emerging information and communication technology is changing medical and psychological practice by enabling the provision of services across time and distance, yet there are significant concerns about these applications. Given the emerging nature of trial evidence in teleneurology, our aim is to provide a narrative review, in order to investigate possible oncoming fields of applications that are very important in healthcare practices delivered to patients affected by neurological diseases. We will focus on the use of Tele-Health in neurological practice, highlighting the potential benefits of applying information and communication technology also to psychosocial and educational aspects of neurological diseases treatment. This work is based on PubMed search, manual search of published abstracts/conference proceedings, and consultation with investigators in neurological disease. We refer also to the broader Tele-Health research concerning mental diseases. Tele-Health has obvious advantages in rural areas, where it improves access to health services, obviating the need for patients and healthcare workers to travel and assuring continuance to healthcare services delivery. Even in urban areas, however, Tele-Health can improve access to health services and to information. It may sometimes also be cheaper than conventional practice, even if there is generally limited knowledge of the cost-effectiveness of Tele-Health services compared to conventional methods of delivering health services.
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Metadata
Title
Tele-Health and neurology: what is possible?
Authors
Francesca Timpano
Lilla Bonanno
Alessia Bramanti
Fabio Pirrotta
Letteria Spadaro
Placido Bramanti
Pietro Lanzafame
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
Springer Milan
Published in
Neurological Sciences / Issue 12/2013
Print ISSN: 1590-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1590-3478
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-012-1285-5

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