📰🧠🔬 NEUROSURGERY STUDY HIGHLIGHTS – Unlocking global neurosurgery: how telemedicine addresses unmet needs and future prospects – a scoping review by Sierra NM., et al.

This exploratory review analyses 67 studies published between 2014 and 2024 to evaluate the role of telemedicine in neurosurgery and its potential to improve access to specialist care worldwide.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
Telemedicine was successfully applied in general neurosurgery, trauma, stroke, neuro-oncology, spine surgery, paediatric neurosurgery, and postoperative care. Evidence showed high patient and clinician satisfaction, with reduced travel costs, fewer unnecessary hospital transfers, and comparable outcomes to in-person consultations for many follow-up and diagnostic services. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated adoption and demonstrated its feasibility on a large scale.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀:
Telemedicine is increasingly becoming an integral part of modern neurosurgical care. Despite ongoing challenges related to infrastructure, training, reimbursement, privacy, and the limitations of remote neurological examinations, it has the potential to expand access to specialized services and help mitigate global neurosurgical workforce shortages. These benefits are especially relevant in underserved regions. Nevertheless, telemedicine should complement, not replace, face-to-face neurosurgical evaluation and treatment.

📄 Access the full article at: Sierra NM, Hernández Rincón EH, Bejarano VN, Ghotme KA. Unlocking global neurosurgery: how telemedicine addresses unmet needs and future prospects – a scoping review. J Clin Neurosci. 2026 Jun 4;152:112121. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967586826002729 This is an open-access article under a CC BY 4.0 license.