Survey of Teleneurology Use by Neurologists in a Low-Middle Income Country.

Abstract

Background Teleneurology has been in existence for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated its widespread usage. Neurological conditions are a leading cause of death globally, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the bulk of the burden. Nigeria has few trained neurologists with the few available concentrated in an urban region. The adoption of teleneurology will help close this treatment gap. Despite evidence of its advantage, the adoption and state of teleneurology in Nigeria are very low. This study aims to determine the state and perception of teleneurology in the care of neurological patients in Nigeria and identify challenges to its wide usage. Methods The primary research method was a descriptive cross-sectional survey among 48 neurologists in Nigeria acrossthe six geo-political zones of the country. Descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to summarize and present the results. Results A total of 48 neurologists participated, of which 46 (95.8%) specialized in general neurology. Videoconferencingis the most preferred means of telemedicine (24, 50%), followed by phone calls (16, 33.3%) and short messages (6, 12.5%). Three-quarters of the respondents are concerned about legal actions from telemedicine use. The majority (34, 70.9%) are not familiar with telemedicine tools, and 40 (83.3%) indicate low telemedicine seminar attendance. More than 90% (46) of neurologists believe that it is a viable approach and can save time and money. Barriers to telemedicine included the lack of incentive to use the technology (38, 79.2%), poor Internet connectivity (36, 75%), and the lack of exposure to telemedicine (36, 75%). Conclusions It is importantto overcome the existing barrier to teleneurology in order to fully harness its potential in addressing the shortage of health professionals in Nigeria as most neurologists are open to using it.