An accelerated shift in the use of remote systems in epilepsy due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the study was to describe epileptologists' opinion on the increased use of remote systems implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic across clinics, education, and scientific meetings activities. Methods Between April and May 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional, electronic survey on remote systems use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic through the European reference center for rare and complex epilepsies (EpiCARE) network, the International and the French Leagues Against Epilepsy, and the International and the French Child Neurology Associations. After descriptive statistical analysis, we compared the results of France, China, and Italy. Results One hundred and seventy-two respondents from 35 countries completed the survey. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 63.4% had experienced remote systems for clinical care. During the pandemic, the use of remote clinics, either institutional or personal, significantly increased (p < 10 −4 ). Eighty-three percent used remote systems with video, either institutional (75%) or personal (25%). During the pandemic, 84.6% of respondents involved in academic activities transformed their courses to online teaching. From February to July 2020, few scientific meetings relevant to epileptologists and routinely attended was adapted to virtual meeting (median: 1 [25th–75th percentile: 0–2]). Responders were quite satisfied with remote systems in all three activity domains. Interestingly, before the COVID-19 pandemic, remote systems were significantly more frequently used in China for clinical activity compared with France or Italy. This difference became less marked during the pandemic. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered how academic epileptologists carry out their core missions of clinical care, medical education, and scientific discovery and dissemination. Close attention to the impact of these changes is merited.

Experiences of telemedicine in neurological out‐patient clinics during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…Telemedicine in epilepsy has been suggested to be noninferior to standard care with regard to seizure control, medication use, medication adherence, and hospitalizations 19 . In line with our findings, a recent study of epilepsy care comparing China, France, and Italy showed a shift toward more telemedicine, and overall 83% of the neurologists in these countries reported the use of telemedicine from February to July 2020 21 . In a Spanish study of 255 epilepsy patients, 49% of the patients considered telemedicine very satisfactory and 35% quite satisfactory during the COVID‐19 pandemic 22 .…”

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric patients with epilepsy – The caregiver perspective

“…Generally, care of patients changed dramatically during the lockdown period [9,11,12]. In regions with high COVID-19 burden, hospitals restructured and postponed, rescheduled, or even canceled outpatient visits by patients with chronic disorders, including epilepsy, both to respect physical distancing rules and to aid in resourcing for managing SARS-CoV-2 infections [1,13].…”

Cognitive assessment of patients with epilepsy in the COVID‐19 era

“…COVID‐19 has necessitated many adaptations to the way medicine is practised, not least the virtual suspension of face‐to‐face hospital‐based clinical consultations for many patients with chronic conditions and their substitution with remote assessment by telephone or video link. These changes affect patients with epilepsy, 13 and a shift to the use of remote systems for their care has already been noted 14 . These changes may be short term, or may persist whenever the ‘new normal’ occurs.…”