Department of Telemedicine, Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Neurol India. 2020 May-Jun;68(3):555-559. doi: 10.4103/0028-3886.288994.
The COVID-19 pandemic has within months turned the world upside down. With personal distancing and shortage of personal protective equipment, face-to-face health care encounters are increasingly becoming problematic. Neurological manifestations are also being observed in clinical presentations.
Worldwide most countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control (USA) have recommended use of Telemedicine during the current pandemic.With acute shortage of neurologists and neurosurgeons and their lopsided distribution, it becomes more difficult to provide neurological care to those who need it the most, particularly with travel restrictions. The author has since 2002 been advocating use of Telemedicine in Neurosciences.
This article reviews the increasing deployment of Telemedicine in neurological practice in the last few years, particularly the radical exponential use in the last few months due to COVID-19.
With possible reduction in face-to-face consultations, remote evaluation may become mainstream. Webinars will play an increasing role. CME's and resident training will become more and more digital. The world will never be the same again. It is imperative that we accept and start deploying the "New Normal".
COVID-19 大流行在短短几个月内颠覆了世界。由于个人保持距离和个人防护设备短缺，面对面的医疗保健服务越来越成问题。临床症状中也观察到了神经学表现。
世界上大多数国家、世界卫生组织（WHO）和美国疾病控制中心（CDC）都建议在当前大流行期间使用远程医疗。由于神经科医生和神经外科医生的短缺以及分布不均，向最需要的人提供神经科护理变得更加困难，特别是在旅行限制的情况下。自 2002 年以来，作者一直倡导在神经科学中使用远程医疗。
本文回顾了过去几年中远程医疗在神经科实践中的应用越来越多，特别是由于 COVID-19，在过去几个月中远程医疗的应用呈指数级增长。
随着面对面咨询的减少，远程评估可能成为主流。网络研讨会将发挥越来越大的作用。继续医学教育和住院医师培训将越来越数字化。世界将永远不会再回到过去。我们必须接受并开始部署“新常态”。
