Physicians typically address movement disorders, such as tardive dyskinesia, during in-person examinations; however, a recent study shows that telehealth visits can be a part of treatment plans.
While not a substitute for in-person visits, telehealth can complement in-person clinical care for patients with movement disorders, according to Rif S. El-Mallak, MD. “There are an increasing number of publications that focus on the integrity of telehealth as it pertains to the care of patents with movement disorders,” Dr. El-Mallakh says. “However, there are few studies regarding telehealth’s use for patients with tardive dyskinesia (TD).”
To address this knowledge gap, Dr. Mallakh and colleagues interviewed neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners regarding in-person versus virtual TD assessment and management. The study team then conducted two virtual roundtables to explore the interview responses. Their findings were published in the Telemedicine Journal and e-Health.
Virtual Visits Will Most Likely Continue Post-COVID
“Our study grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the medical community switched to virtual visits, Dr. Mallakh says. “The problem has been how to assess something like movement disorders when you are not examining the patient in person. The expert panel aimed to figure out the best way to address this issue. Now that the pandemic is ‘over,’ we are still seeing patients virtually, and that aspect of care will continue in the future. Therefore, this remains an important topic to study.”
Dr. Mallakh and colleagues point to new technological devices, such as wearable sensors, that may augment future virtual visits.
Despite the growing acceptance of virtual visits, the study team emphasized that it is important to see patients with TD in person every six months or at least once a year. “The panel stressed that while clinicians can do some evaluation virtually, it is suboptimal and an in-person evaluation needs to be done periodically,” Dr. Mallakh says. “There needs to be a good screening for TD if the patient does not have TD, or a quantification of TD severity if the patient does have TD.”
Patients who are taking antipsychotics medication should continue with occasional in-person evaluations for TD, Dr. Mallakh says. “For virtual visits with patients at risk for TD, clinicians can best optimize these visits by asking targeted questions to help identify TD,” he adds. “This way, they can assess its impact and provide education about approved TD treatments.”
Source: Adapted from: El-Mallakh R, et al. Telemed J E Health. 2023;29(7):1096.
