Managing Epileptic Seizures through Telemedicine in the CoVID-19 Pandemic Crisis

Document Type : Letter to Editor

Authors

1 Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Health Information Technology and Management, School of Medical Management and Information Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran

3 Department of Health Information Technology, School of Medical Management and Information Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

CoVID-19 is a viral disease that has spread rapidly. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder. One of the best solutions for follow-up and periodic examinations of epileptic patients to prevent the spread of the Corona virus among epileptic patients is the use of telemedicine. Before the CoVID-19 crisis, telemedicine was not used privately to treat and follow up patients, but after the crisis, the use of telemedicine is unavoidable in most stages of chronic and acute illness. According to the findings, the number of epilepsy management programs has increased in recent years. Most care programs are related to the treatment, and follow-up of people with epilepsy because of their increased exposure to the coronavirus. Accordingly, the use of self-care programs through smartphones and other telemedicine methods are good solutions for epileptic patients. Telemedicine helps physicians keep patient information up to date and minimize face-to-face visits and reducing the risk of infection.

Keywords


1. Chitsaz A, Ajami S. Novel Technologies Impact on the Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s Patient During the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2020. In press.
2. Brigo F, Bonavita S, Leocani L, Tedeschi G, Lavorgna L, Digital Technologies W, et al. Telemedicine and the challenge of epilepsy management at the time of COVID-19 pandemic. Epilepsy Behav. 2020;110:107164. doi: 10.1016/j. yebeh.2020.107164.
3. Kuroda N. Decision Making on Telemedicine for Patients With Epilepsy During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Crisis. Front Neurol. 2020;11:722. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00722.
4. Kuroda N. What should we ask patients with epilepsy on telemedicine during the COVID-19 crisis? A checklist for clinicians.
Epilepsy Behav. 2020;111:107184. doi: 10.1016/j. yebeh.2020.107184.
5. Chen D, Zhu L, Lin X, Hong Z, Li S, Liu L, et al. Epilepsy control during an epidemic: emerging approaches and a new management framework. Acta Epileptologica. 2020;2:1-9. doi: 10.1186/ s42494-020-00015-z.
6. Fergus P, Hignett D, Hussain A, Al-Jumeily D, Abdel-Aziz K. Automatic epileptic seizure detection using scalp EEG and advanced artificial intelligence techniques. Biomed Res Int. 2015;2015:986736. doi: 10.1155/2015/986736.