Tele-treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Management of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mainly consists of (psycho) social support and advice on activities of daily living. We evaluated the effects of tele-treatment in addition to the conventional method of care in four patients with ALS. A Web application was built with i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of telemedicine and telecare 2006-07, Vol.12 (1_suppl), p.31-34
Main Authors: Nijeweme-D'hollosy, Wendy Oude, Janssen, Emile P F, Veld, Rianne M H A Huis In ‘T, Spoelstra, Jos, Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam M R, Hermens, Hermie J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - therapy
Delivery of Health Care - organization & administration
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Satisfaction
Physician-Patient Relations
Quality of Life
Remote Consultation
Social Support
Videoconferencing
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Summary:Management of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mainly consists of (psycho) social support and advice on activities of daily living. We evaluated the effects of tele-treatment in addition to the conventional method of care in four patients with ALS. A Web application was built with information about ALS and a link to the tele-treatment environment. The latter contained a chat room and a link to start personal computer (PC)-based videoconferencing with a rehabilitation physician. The effect on quality of care was evaluated by questionnaires and interviews. The interviews showed that patients were satisfied with tele-treatment and experienced a pleasant contact during teleconsultations. The rehabilitation physician experienced acceptance of tele-treatment by the patients and a decrease in the time needed for travelling. Tele-treatment was especially suitable for discussing the practical issues about ALS. On the other hand, psychosocial and emotional issues still needed to be discussed during traditional face-to-face contact. Therefore tele-treatment should only be given in addition to face-to-face contact, rather than as a replacement for it.
ISSN:1357-633X
1758-1109
DOI:10.1258/135763306777978434