Teleneurorehabilitation in Neurologic Disorders and Diseases: Potentials, Effectiveness and Barriers

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: One of the important problems of modern rehabilitation is loss of the results achieved at different stages of rehabilitation because of interruption of the recovery processes and absence of home-based rehabilitation after discharge from a medical center. The maximal effect after rehabilitation can be achieved only on condition that an integrated continuous approach is provided including distant format through use of modern digital devices and technologies to ensure the double feedback between the patient and the doctor. In this context, telemedicine acquires special significance. Teleneurorehabilitation (TNR) is a field of telemedicine ensuring accessibility and continuity of rehabilitation care to patients living in geographically remote areas. AIM: Reporting of brief information on the possibilities of using TNR technologies in neurologic disorders and diseases. The review includes general concepts of TNR: conditions of realization range of technical means, principles and types of remote rehabilitation interventions. Brief information is given on the possibilities of using remote technologies in motor and cognitive disorders. The effectiveness of TNR and barriers to its implementation are considered. CONCLUSION: A large number of studies prove the technical feasibility of TNR, however, the development and maintenance of a viable model of remote rehabilitation care integrated into the existing health care system requires scientific justification of the effectiveness and economic benefits of specific technologies in specific forms of neurologic pathology. The creation of an evidence base will permit to realize the potential of TNR and make the remote form of rehabilitation a new standard of medical care not only in the era of the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection, but also after the pandemic.