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Summary Tocomparethereliabilityofneurological examinationperformedbytelemedicineandfacetoface,ajunior doctorexamined23patientsfacetoface,theseexaminationsbeingwitnessedeitherbyoneorbytwo telemedicineobserversusingatelemedicinevideo-linkat384kbit/s. Thegoldstandardwasaface-to-face examinationfromapanel of sixconsultantneurologists.Power,deeptendonreflexes, plantarresponses, coordination,sensation,eyemovements,facial strength,tonguemovements,sittingbalanceandgaitwere studied.Seventeenpatientssatisfiedtheinclusioncriteria,andatotal of1084matchedpairsofobservations weremade.Thereliabilityof thetelemedicineexaminationrangedfromfairtomoderatefordeeptendon reflexes,coordinationandeyemovement, tonearperfectforplantarresponses.Overall,examinationby telemedicinecomparedfavourablywithface-to-faceexamination. Telemedicineexaminationwasmore sensitiveindetectingabnormalitiesthanface-to-faceexaminationforall theneurological testsstudiedand morespecificforall butone(plantarresponses). Thestudyshowedthatneurological examinationusing telemedicineisatleastasgoodasface-to-faceexaminationperformedbyajuniordoctor.
Craig et al. (Mon,) studied this question.