The comparative impact neurosurgical of video-consultation on health services

This study evaluated the impact of telemedicine technology on the provision of neurosurgical health services. We focused on the differences between th e use of real time audio-visual teleconferencing and teleradiology versus c onventional telephone consultations in the referral of neurosurgical patien ts from a large district general hospital. All patients requiring emergency neurosurgical consultation were included for randomization into telephone consultation only (Mode A), teleradiology and telephone consultation (Mode B) and video-consultation (Mode C). Measures of effectiveness included diag nostic accuracy and adverse events during the transfer and Glasgow Outcome Score. In a 10-month period, 327 patients were recruited and randomized int o the study: the male/female ratio was 2:1 and the number of patients requi red to be transferred to the neurosurgical unit was 125 (38%). There was a trend towards a more favourable outcome in the video-consultation mode (44% , Mode C), versus teleradiology (31%, Mode B), versus telephone consultatio n (38%, Mode A). The interim data of this prospective randomized trial sugg ests that video-consultation may have a favourable, impact on emergency neu rosurgical consultations. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.