Multidisciplinary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis telemedicine care: The store and forward method.

INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients benefit from multidisciplinary care in an ALS clinic. We studied whether multidisciplinary care of ALS patients using the store and forward method of telemedicine was feasible and acceptable to patients and providers. METHODS: ALS patients seen in the University of Florida (UF) Jacksonville ALS clinic were eligible for our study. A trained telemedicine nurse performed and recorded a multidisciplinary assessment of the patient in their home. Clinic team members reviewed the assessments and provided recommendations, and the clinic director discussed the plan with the patient via videoconference. Patient and provider satisfaction was evaluated using surveys. RESULTS: Eighteen patients completed a total of 27 telemedicine visits. Patient satisfaction was excellent and provider satisfaction was very good. DISCUSSION: The store and forward method of telemedicine is an acceptable alternative to live telemedicine for the multidisciplinary care of ALS patients. This method of care may improve access to multidisciplinary care for this patient population. Muscle Nerve 59:34-39, 2019.

The utilization of occupational therapy services for persons with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization of occupational therapy services in persons with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, to better understand if services are being provided, the types of interventions being provided, and satisfaction of services. Using survey methods, an online questionnaire was made available to persons with CMT listed on association websites worldwide. One hundred and fifteen persons with CMT, residing in all geographical regions within the United States and seven other countries participated in the study. Around half of all participants had received occupational therapy services. Twelve interventions were identified as being provided for persons with CMT. Although the majority of individuals receiving occupational therapy services did not feel like it improved their quality of life, the majority of individuals would recommend occupational therapy services to others and would return to an occupational therapist. Of those participants not receiving occupational therapy, the majority felt they would benefit from occupational therapy services. The results suggest that occupational therapy services are not being well utilized for this population. A low response rate limits generalization, thus further research is necessary.