Telemedicine in neurosurgery: A systematic review of global implementation, outcomes, and barriers to access.
Helbert de Oliveira Manduca Palmiero, Eberval Gadelha Figueiredo
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This systematic review examined worldwide implementation, outcomes, and access barriers for telemedicine in neurosurgical emergency and outpatient care. It included 36 English-language studies identified through a PubMed/MEDLINE search covering 2000–2025, with findings synthesized qualitatively. Emergency telemedicine networks reduced time to specialist evaluation from about 160 to 38 min and prevented up to 44% of potential patient transfers. Outpatient programs reported patient satisfaction above 80% and surgical decision agreement comparable to in-person visits. The review also identified connectivity, imaging interoperability, licensing differences, and digital inequality as ongoing barriers.
Key findings
- Emergency networks reduced time to specialist evaluation from about 160 to 38 min.
- Teleconsultation prevented up to 44% of potential patient transfers.
- Outpatient programs reported patient satisfaction above 80% and surgical decision agreement comparable to in-person visits.
- Connectivity, imaging interoperability, licensing differences, and digital inequality remained barriers across settings.
Why it matters
The review suggests telemedicine can extend neurosurgical assessment to remote and resource-limited settings while supporting faster triage and reducing avoidable transfers. Outpatient findings also indicate that remote consultations may preserve decision-making agreement and patient satisfaction while reducing travel and costs. These potential benefits depend on addressing infrastructure, regulatory, and equity barriers.
What to keep in mind
The review synthesized heterogeneous studies qualitatively, so the reported outcomes may not be directly comparable across programs and settings.