Benefits and Drawbacks of Teleneurosurgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

Telemedicine is an emerging medical technology that allows us to bridge the gap between remote healthcare access and resource provision. Low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), which would benefit greatly from this emerging technology, also face hurdles in its implementation. This scoping review aims to map the existing literature and evidence on the challenges and limitations of adopting teleneurosurgery. This is important for establishing policies to facilitate wider implementation of teleneurosurgery and telemedicine across Pakistan. This review was conducted following the methodology framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. Studies were searched using PubMed and Google Scholar, where search domains included telemedicine, telehealth, teleneurosurgery, and LMICs. A manual search of the reference list of selected studies was conducted, and studies were finalized after expert consultation. Challenges in the implementation of teleneurosurgery were analyzed. Quantitative, qualitative, and critical analysis of the included studies was completed. Results were reported according to the already existing scoping review guidelines (PRISMA-ScR). Telemedicine, particularly in neurosurgery, emerges as a sign of a prospect poised to offer transformative solutions to global healthcare delivery. It relies heavily on robust technological infrastructure, with high-speed Internet connectivity serving as its backbone. Yet, inadequate bandwidth and connectivity issues stand as the prime hurdles, impacting surgical precision, and hindering patient safety. Owing to all the challenges, teleneurosurgery is open to diverse opportunities for improvement. Regular training programs, collaborative efforts with healthcare providers, and addressing technological issues can enhance the effects of teleneurosurgery in patient care.