Telemedicine Applications in Multiple Sclerosis Management
Summary
Telemedicine has emerged as a pivotal component in the management of multiple sclerosis, offering a suite of digital health strategies—real-time video consultations, remote monitoring via wearable sensors, web-based patient portals and tele-rehabilitation programmes. By overcoming geographic and mobility barriers, these tools ensure timely access to specialist care, facilitate frequent monitoring of disease activity and support multidisciplinary interventions. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote approaches, demonstrating the feasibility of neurological assessments, symptom tracking and treatment optimisation without in-person visits. Tele-rehabilitation delivers tailored physical and cognitive exercises directly to patients’ homes, often achieving high adherence and satisfaction. Automated data capture from digital platforms enables longitudinal tracking of clinical metrics and patient-reported outcomes, contributing to cost-effectiveness for healthcare systems. Challenges include variability in internet connectivity, regulatory differences, limitations in conducting comprehensive neurological examinations remotely and disparities in digital literacy. Future directions involve integration of advanced digital biomarkers, artificial intelligence-driven analytics and interoperable health records, with the aim of providing personalised, data-driven care. Telemedicine thus represents a globally scalable paradigm shift towards more accessible, patient-centred management of multiple sclerosis.
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Telemedicine Applications in Multiple Sclerosis Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in telemedicine applications in multiple sclerosis management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Teleconsultation: Synchronous audiovisual clinical consultation conducted remotely over the internet.
Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS): A standardised scale to quantify disability and disease progression in multiple sclerosis.
Functional Systems (FS) score: Subscores within the EDSS that reflect the function of specific neurological systems.
References
- Feasibility of Real Time Internet-Based Teleconsultation in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: Interventional Pilot Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2020).
- Description and preliminary experience with Virtual Visit Assessment (ViVA) during the COVID-19 pandemic, a structured virtual management protocol for patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurological Sciences (2021).
- Reliability of televisits for patients with mild relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis in the COVID-19 era. Neurological Sciences (2022).
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