Experience with telemedicine in a multi-disciplinary ALS clinic

Telemedicine using video televisits is emerging as a means to provide care directly to patients. Here we report our experience using video televisits to provide follow-up care as a part of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Telemedicine for People with ALS (TelePALS) initiative.

This was a retrospective chart review of all video televisit encounters conducted by the MGH ALS clinic between September 2014 and January 2016.

A total of 97 distinct ALS patients were seen using video televisits. Twenty-four percent of these patients had more than one video televisit. The median distance of the patients' primary residence to MGH was 211 miles. The average video televisit lasted 32 min (±12). About half the patients (54%) were ambulatory at the time of their video televisit. The most commonly addressed issues were medication management (89%), discussion of goals of care (74%), research (55%) and equipment use (50%). Acute care issues were rarely discussed.

Video televisits are feasible and can be a useful tool to supplement traditional clinic-based multidisciplinary ALS care.