REMOTE-Neuro: co-produced recommendations to optimise remote neurology

To examine stakeholder experiences of remote neurology outpatient care and to co-produce an evidence-based framework to support safe, equitable and sustainable service delivery.

We undertook an inductive thematic analysis of free-text responses from three national surveys: a patient and carer survey conducted by the Neurological Alliance (2021; n=2463) and two surveys of neurologists conducted by the Association of British Neurologists (2020 and 2021; n=593). Findings were validated through co-production workshops and interviews with patients, carers and healthcare professionals in 2024 (n=43). Themes were triangulated and refined to generate stakeholder-endorsed recommendations.

Participants valued flexible choice in consultation modality, recognising the accessibility and convenience of remote care, but expressed concerns about clinical quality, privacy and equity. Both patients and clinicians viewed remote care as a distinct skill set requiring tailored training and stronger digital infrastructure. Importantly, some participants perceived remote appointments as less legitimate than in-person consultations, a novel and under-recognised challenge with implications for engagement and health equity. Five domains aligned with National Health Service (NHS) transformation principles were identified: (1) patient-centred care, (2) neurology and specialist area considerations, (3) clinical safety and quality, (4) capacity and sustainability and (5) operational efficiency. These findings informed the REcommendations for optimising Modality, Operational efficiency, Training and Equity in NEUROlogy (REMOTE-Neuro) framework.

Remote care continues to offer significant benefits to both patients and clinicians. However, several years postpandemic, there are still unresolved issues which limit its effective integration with face-to-face care.

REMOTE-Neuro provides a co-produced set of recommendations to optimise remote neurology practice. Grounded in over 3000 stakeholder perspectives and aligned with NHS transformation priorities, it offers a practical roadmap for implementation in neurology and a transferable model for other specialties.