Changes in Neurology Care Since the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities throughout the U.S. have received guidance to minimize the spread of the virus. One of the major outcomes of this has been a rapid transition to telemedicine for many subspecialties of neurologic care. While the use of telemedicine in fields such as acute stroke care had been extensively studied prior to the pandemic, fewer studies have addressed the role of telemedicine in other subspecialties of neurology, such as memory and cognition. Objective: The goal of this pilot study was to assess the ways in which the transition to telemedicine had affected providers' experiences with neurologic care as of July 2020. Methods: An online survey was emailed to neurology providers who are members of various professional organizations. The survey assessed the amount of telemedicine use in daily practice, which telemedicine platforms were utilized, and how provider satisfaction with telemedicine has changed since the onset of COVID-19. Additionally, memory and cognition providers were asked about cognitive tests they have been able to utilize during telemedicine visits. Results: Preliminary analysis of 16 responses showed a significantly increased use of telemedicine in average daily caseload;however, insufficient data prevented conclusions about provider satisfaction and memory and cognition testing use. Conclusion: Telemedicine has become a fixture in various subspecialties of neurology. We hope the results of this pilot study will contribute to our understanding of the use of telemedicine in neurology and expect that future studies will reveal more about provider experiences with telemedicine.