Disclosures: Jill R. Meilahn, DO: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest

Objective: To determine if a telehealth option for neurodevelopmental follow up of premature babies was effective for families and clinicians.

Design: Infants with estimated gestational age of < 32 weeks admitted to the NICU were prospectively enrolled over 1 year. On discharge the option was given to schedule a telehealth or an in-person visit for neurodevelopmental follow up.Setting : Large multi-specialty clinic serving a geographically scattered rural area.Participants : Infants born prematurely, < 32 weeks estimated gestational age, who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after their birth.

Interventions: Upon discharge infants were recommended to follow up with a neurodevelopmental assessment at 6 months corrected age, as per the current usual protocol. The intervention was the option to elect a telehealth visit rather than an in-person visit.

Main Outcome Measures: Telehealth visits were compared to in-person visits by 1. The number of “no-shows.” 2. Clinician satisfaction with the ability to complete a standardized assessment tool. 3. Parent satisfaction based on a simple confidential questionnaire. 4. Distance from the clinic as a factor on which venue families chose.

Results: 1. Numbers enrolled were similar in the telehealth and in-person groups. 2. No-shows were less in the telehealth group than the in-person group. 3. There were some items, such as reflexes and tone, clinicians felt they could not assess as well in the telehealth group as they could in-person. 4. Parents expressed high satisfaction with both types of visit. 5. Families living a greater distance from the clinic were more likely to choose a telehealth visit.Conclusions: Telehealth is a useful option for NICU neurodevelopmental follow up of premature babies, especially in a rural area with great distance from specialty care. The telehealth option reduced the number of no-shows. High satisfaction was reported by families. In spite of clinician concerns, infants with early neurologic deficits were identified and scheduled for further evaluations.

Level of Evidence: Level III

« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021

PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/telehealth-vs-in-person-visits-for-neurodevelopmental-follow-up-of-premature-infants-a-prospective-study/