Telemedicine use among neurologists before and during COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Background: After the public health emergency due to COVID-19 was declared in Brazil, the federal government temporarily regulated and authorized the use of telemedicine services for patient consultation, monitoring, and diagnosis. For more than a decade, neurologists have recognized the benefits of telemedicine in the acute management of stroke patients. However, as the use of telemedicine was restricted until the COVID-19 pandemic, the view of Brazilian neurologists about telemedicine is unknown. Methods: All neurologists registered at the Brazilian Academy of Neurology were invited by e-mail to participate in a survey about personal perceptions on telemedicine use. Results: One hundred sixty-two neurologists from all regions of Brazil answered the online questionnaire. The survey showed that 18.5% of participants worked with telemedicine before the pandemic, while 63.6% reported working with telemedicine during the pandemic. The main telemedicine modalities used during the pandemic were teleorientation and teleconsultation. Discussion: According to our data, the COVID-19 pandemic deeply influenced the behavior of Brazilian neurologists, who developed a more favorable view about telemedicine and actively searched for information about telemedicine. As there is a need for more training in this area in Brazil, universities and medical societies must strive to improve telemedicine education. Expanding the use of high-quality teleneurology can contribute to a better care for patients with neurological diseases in Brazil.

【摘要】
背景：巴西宣布新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）公共卫生紧急事件后，联邦政府临时出台监管规范并授权使用远程医疗（telemedicine）服务，用于患者问诊、病情监测与诊断工作。十余年来，神经科医师已明确远程医疗在卒中患者急性期管理中的应用价值。但在COVID-19大流行之前，远程医疗的应用曾受到严格限制，因此巴西神经科医师对远程医疗的认知情况此前尚未明确。
方法：本研究通过电子邮件邀请所有在巴西神经病学学会（Brazilian Academy of Neurology）注册的神经科医师，参与一项关于个人对远程医疗应用认知的调研问卷。
结果：来自巴西全国各地区的162名神经科医师完成了该在线问卷。调研数据显示，疫情前有18.5%的受访者曾开展远程医疗工作，而疫情期间该比例升至63.6%。疫情期间使用的主流远程医疗模式为远程指导与远程问诊。
讨论：本研究数据表明，COVID-19大流行深刻影响了巴西神经科医师的执业行为，他们对远程医疗的态度更为积极，并主动搜索远程医疗相关专业信息。鉴于巴西在该领域仍存在培训缺口，高等院校与医学学会应着力完善远程医疗相关教育体系。推广高质量的神经远程医疗（teleneurology）服务，可助力巴西神经系统疾病患者获得更优质的诊疗服务。