Using Telemedicine to Overcome Barriers to Neurodevelopmental Care from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to School...

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) graduates face risks for neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI).
• Dedicated follow-up programs are crucial but face systemic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial barriers.
• Telemedicine offers a potential solution to enhance NDI surveillance and follow-up care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of telemedicine in overcoming barriers to neurodevelopmental follow-up for high-risk NICU infants.
• To assess telemedicine's impact on referral rates, timeliness of care, and therapy engagement.
• To identify emerging challenges with telemedicine in NDI surveillance post-COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature and clinical practices regarding telemedicine in NICU follow-up.
• Analysis of telemedicine's potential to standardize evaluations and increase access to care.
• Identification of barriers and facilitators to telemedicine implementation in neurodevelopmental surveillance.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine can standardize evaluations, increase referral rates, and reduce follow-up time.
• It enhances therapy engagement and expands neurodevelopmental surveillance for all NICU graduates.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted new access and technological barriers to telemedicine use.

Conclusions:

• Telemedicine is a valuable tool for improving neurodevelopmental follow-up for high-risk NICU infants.
• It effectively addresses many traditional barriers to care.
• Addressing new technological and access challenges is essential for optimal telemedicine utilization in NDI surveillance.