Telehealth and face-to-face concussion evaluations agree 100 percent of the time, according to new research published in Neurology.
Bert B. Vargas, MD, a neurology researcher at Dallas-based University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, led the study. Dr. Vargas and his team investigated whether a remote neurologist could accurately evaluate an athlete on the sidelines of a game using audiovisual telemedicine services.
They identified 11 male collegiate football players suspected of concussion, all of whom were assessed by a remote neurologist and a sideline provider. The neurologists achieved the same standardized assessment of concussion test findings and agreed on whether to remove a player from the game 100 percent of the time.
"The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of teleconcussion for sideline concussion assessments," the researchers concluded. "These data suggest a high level of agreement between remote and face-to-face providers with regard to examination findings and [remove-from-play] determinations."