Telemedicine in Headache Medicine: A Narrative Review

Evolving migraine management: Lithuania's telemedicine experience

“…Respondents with previous teleconsultation experience were more likely to acknowledge the benefits of remote consultations, such as reduced transportation costs, the convenience of receiving consultations from home, and minimal disruption to daily schedules. Similar advantages, including improved access to headache specialist, a favorable safety profile and the option of an in-person follow-up, were also described in other publications ( 13 , 28 – 31 ). Additionally, some evidence from study in Switzerland suggest that positive experiences with telemedicine can accelerate its broader implementation ( 32 ).…”

“…Such a pattern may explain why some physicians prefer telephone follow-ups to primary remote consultations ( 17 , 27 ). Nonetheless, the reliance on teleconsultations has its limitations as they cannot entirely replace in-person appointments, especially for crucial procedures like fundus assessment, which cannot be performed remotely ( 13 , 26 ).…”

“…Conversely, our data demonstrate that participants without telemedicine experience expressed greater concerns, including inadequate assessments, higher risk of misdiagnoses, and unsuitable treatments. Other perceived disadvantages previously reported in the literature include the absence of direct interaction, technical difficulties and costs associated with technology use ( 13 , 28 – 32 ).…”

“…An intriguing finding from our study emerged suggesting that respondents who had their primary neurology appointments remotely were less likely to choose teleconsultations in the future. A plausible explanation for this could be the absence of physical interactions, a component that patients often deem essential, underscoring the advantage of a hybrid approach that combines initial in-person consultations ( 13 , 29 , 30 , 33 ). Furthermore, our study revealed that patients who identified more disadvantages in telemedicine care and had lower evaluations of previous remote experiences with a general practitioner (GP) showed a greater preference for in-person visits.…”

“…In response, telemedicine has emerged as a viable solution, presenting the opportunity to overcome these challenges by enabling remote healthcare services and ensuring continuity and accessibility in migraine care ( 11 , 12 ). With ongoing technological advancements, telemedicine use is expected to increase, particularly in headache management, where its implementation was already notable even before the pandemic ( 11 , 13 , 14 ).…”