Telemedecine at the NIA

Telemedicine refers to healthcare provision to patients and their caregivers from a distance through the use of telecommunication systems.

Telemedicine at the NIA serves the needs of our patients who are unable to visit the NIA (e.g., due to distance or reduced mobility), or when it is contraindicated that they visit (e.g., national social distancing measures), and complements patient needs while maintaining a high level of healthcare provision. It is usually pursued during follow up by patients who have already been evaluated at the NIA, but in certain circumstances it is used during a patient’s first evaluation.

There are a number of studies that verify the efficacy of telemedicine with regards to patient and caregiver satisfaction, faster healthcare provision, decrease of healthcare cost, optimization of the diagnostic process, and the benefits to patient health. The American Academy of Neurology verifies through its guidelines that Telemedicine is not inferior to an in-clinic evaluation in most cases, even during initial patient evaluations (see Telemedicine Work Group of the American Academy of Neurology update. Neurology; 2020)

Telemedicine at the NIA includes:

• Clinical evaluation via secure encrypted teleconferencing

• Encrypted and secure remote data sharing (e.g., images from MRI studies)

• Remote e-prescription

Additional in-person clinical or laboratory evaluations may be recommended by the patient’s clinicians following Telemedicine evaluations in order to maintain an excellent level of care to patients. For more information on Telemedicine at the NIA, contact us at info@nioa.gr or Request an Appointment.