The use of virtual tools in narrowing the impact of health disparities in neurology.

Creator(s)

Jean-Baptist LePichon, Children's Mercy HospitalFollow
Stephanie Horton, Children's Mercy Kansas CityFollow
Omar Abdelmoity
Mark A. Hoffman, Children's Mercy Kansas CityFollow
Emily Cramer, Children's Mercy Kansas CityFollow
Nirmeen Kishk
Salah Hamada
Ahmed Abdelmoity, Children's Mercy HospitalFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-14-2022

Identifier

DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.1028833; PMCID: PMC9614345

Abstract

The concept of Epilepsy Treatment Gap (ETG) refers to the proportion of people with epilepsy who are not being appropriately treated. The ETG in the USA approaches 10%, with historically underserved populations and rural populations disproportionately affected. The ETG in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) is reported to be 5-10 times higher than in high-income countries. The growing availability of reliable internet access offers a unique opportunity to provide better care to children and adults with epilepsy. In this paper we explore various telehealth (TH) initiatives that have leveraged the availability of easy and free access to an internet connection in reducing the ETG in underserved regions of the world. We describe several interventions targeted to reach patients and providers in rural areas of the United States and in LMIC. First, we examine initiatives that were developed to improve patient access to coordinated care and education regarding epilepsy and seizures. Next, we describe an intervention designed to improve knowledge of epilepsy diagnosis and treatment for providers in LMIC. We conclude with a brief overview of the use of virtual tools in diminishing the ETG.

Journal Title

Front Pediatr

Volume

10

First Page

1028833

Last Page

1028833

Keywords

education; epilpesy; neurology; telehealth; treatment gap; virtual medicine

Comments

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Publisher's Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2022.1028833/full

Recommended Citation

Le Pichon JB, Horton S, Abdelmoity O, et al. The use of virtual tools in narrowing the impact of health disparities in neurology. Front Pediatr. 2022;10:1028833. Published 2022 Oct 14. doi:10.3389/fped.2022.1028833