Teleneurology
Teleneurology was first piloted in the North of Scotland between December 2005 and March 2006. Since then it has become part of routine service delivery for many healthboards across NHSScotland. More recently NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS) launched the new Neurological Health Services Clinical Standards in January 2010. These standards now include statements on the use of telemedicine to improve patient access to specialist neurological services.
One of the most innovative uses of the technology is currently being tested to see if it is feasible to support patients with motor neurone disease (MND) in their own homes. Using a piece of software that collaborates with the patients own laptop, it turns it into a mobile videoconferencing unit. This means that the specialist can support the patient whenever their advice is required without either of them having to travel.
Teleneurology has been defined as:
the use of modern communication technology to enable neurology to be practised when the doctor and patient are not present in the same place, and possibly time. (Patterson 2005)
Specifically, teleneurology can assist health boards to meet the following objectives:
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To develop services that can deliver improved care to patients with neurological conditions by improving access to a neurologist and neurology specialist nurses for epilepsy, (SIGN 70) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD) regardless of patient geography
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To reduce patient waiting and travel times for neurology outpatient services
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To increase the clinical and educational potential of local healthcare staff so that more patients can be managed locally without referral
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To develop the skills of specialist nurses to include the development of local services across primary and secondary care.
Contact cathy.dorrian@nhs.net