Led by Anhar Hassan
Telemedicine is increasingly used to care for patients with movement disorders, but data regarding its global use are limited. In 2015 the Telemedicine Task Force conducted an online survey of all 6056 members of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society regarding their use of telemedicine. There was a 9.1% survey response rate (549 respondents) from 83 countries. Most (85.8%) were physicians, and most (71%) worked in academic/university practice. Half of respondents (n=287, from 57 countries) used telemedicine for clinical care: email (63%), video visits (follow-up 40%, new 35%), and video-education (35%). Video visits were personally conducted by one-fifth (n=105) of respondents, most frequently to outpatient clinics (54%), patient homes (31%).
Led by Esther Cubo
In order to create a feasible, low-cost, web-based tele-education program about Movement Disorders for undergraduate medical students in low-middle, middle-high income countries with poor access to Movement Disorders specialists, the Telemedicine Task Force launched and completed a new course in partnership with University of Douala, Medical School, Cameroon, University of Buenos Aires, Medical School, Argentina. Through this new program, students received a standardized education on moment disorders from world renowned experts via a webinar series. Each site participated in 7 session covering the basics of movement disorder. Either Medical Students from Cameroon or Argentina demonstrated improvement in Movement Disorders Skills after completing pre and post-course assessments.
Led by Esther Cubo
In order to create a feasible, low-cost, web-based tele-education program about Movement Disorders for health professionals in low-middle income countries with poor access to Movement Disorders specialists, the Telemedicine Task Force launched a new course in partnership with University of Douala. Through this new program, family doctors, neurologists, nurses, psychologists, and physiotherapists received standardized education on moment disorders from world renowned experts via a webinar series for one year, once a month. High satisfaction and knowledge improvement was obtained after this course.
Led by Carolinne Tanner and Piu Chan.
In tandem with a CME course hosted in China, the task force conducted a randomized trial. All participating neurologists received one week training in Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and management. At the end of the week, the community neurologists were randomized either to the intervention group (expert consultation via telemedicine) or to the non-intervention group (routine care without expert consultation using telemedicine). At the end of this study, one year later, adequate feasibility, and high satisfaction was reported among telemedicine users.
Led by Meredith Spindler, Jaime-Hatcher
This Study Group has completed and submitted a tutorial on introducing telemedicine into a movement disorders clinic. The tutorial outlined the steps a clinic must take to acquaint its physicians and patients with the movement disorders technology, including technology software and hardware options and best practices for the first and subsequent telemedicine visits.
2018
1. Asynchronous Consultation in Movement Disorders: The East Africa Hub
M. Dekker, S. Urasa, S. Guttman, W. Howlett, M. Guttman (Moshi, United Republic of Tanzania).
2. Palliative Virtual Home Visits for Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders (PVH-Park Study)
M. Afshari, A. Butala, J. Guenther, A. Pantelyat, N. Galifianakis (San Francisco, CA, USA).
3. Asynchronous Telehealth Consultations for Movement Disorders in Africa
J. Guenther, M. Katz, E. Cubo, N. Galifianakis, S. Guttman, N. Okubadejo, M. Spindler, J. Aldred, M. Guttman (San Francisco, CA, USA).
2016
1. Caring for the majority: Telemedicine management of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in underserved populations in People’s Republic of China: A randomized trial
P.B. Chan, S. Liu, Z. Gu, J. An, C.M. Tanner (Beijing, People’s Republic of China)
2. Survey of telemedicine use among MDS members
A. Hassan, E.R. Dorsey, E. Cubo, C.G. Goetz, B.R. Bloem, M. Guttman, S.L. Heath, M. Katz, M. Spinder, C.M. Tanner, Z. Mari, A. Pantelyat, J.A. Bajwa, N.B. Galifianakis, E.M. Gatto (Rochester, MN, USA)