TELENEUROLOGY AS A SUPPORT STRATEGY FOR STROKE PATIENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN RECIFE-BRAZIL

ABSTRACT

Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the importance of using Telehealth technologies to offer medical care to patients. Teleneurology can provide access to specialists with quality and safety, in addition to presenting great potential in reducing care gaps, especially in the Brazilian public system. Objective: Demonstrate the profile and impact of the population assisted by Teleneurology during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, in addition to the outcomes at the end of this strategy in a city located in the northeast Brazil's territory. Methodology: Retrospective and cross-sectional analysis of medical records of patients treated by the team of neurologists at Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz, through the Regula Mais Brasil Collaborative project in 2020 and 2021, using telehealth strategies. Results: 657 teleconsultations (video or phone) were carried out, all from users of the public health system, and referred for neurological assessment from primary care. The median age was 45,03 ± 15,9 years and 79,3% were women. According to the international code of diseases (ICD-10), the main diagnoses referred to were Headache (51.6%), followed by Epilepsy (16.6%) and Stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic) at 2.8%. After the first teleconsultation, 56.2% were followed by teleconsultation and 27.4% returned to primary care. Conclusion: Using teleneurology as strategy helped to reduce the gaps in healthcare due to the closing of Primary Care Centers during the coronavirus pandemic, avoided unnecessary displacements, especially of patients with several comorbidities, in addition to ensuring the safety of users, since they were cared for in their respective homes.