Virtual care of patients with MS

24th April 2021, Expert Meeting. This video interview with Mona Alkhawajah is based on the slide deck “Telemedicine in Multiple Sclerosis” by Mona Alkhawajah and Carlo Pozzilli and brings out the key points. 

ABSTRACT

This video interview is based on the slide deck “Telemedicine in Multiple Sclerosis” by Mona Alkhawajah and Carlo Pozzilli. Dr Alkhawajah brings out the key points. 

‘Telemedicine’ infers the use of digital technologies to deliver healthcare services to patients at a distance. While telemedicine was previously considered an interesting concept to save on time and resources, its importance was quickly seen with the COVID-19 pandemic, where the medical community was obliged to find ways to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare service provision while minimising the risk of disease transmission.

In this presentation, Drs Mona Alkhawajah and Carlo Pozzilli cover all the important aspects of telemedicine. By looking back on the history of telemedicine, they project us forward to its potential role in the care of the multiple sclerosis (MS) patient. A thorough analysis is provided of new applications for telemedicine, issues that need to be considered when implementing this technology, what the challenges are, and how they can be overcome.

QUESTIONS ASKED IN THIS VIDEO INTERVIEW

1. How feasible is it for MS physicians to interact with their patients via telemedicine platforms, and how satisfied are you with your experiences to date?
2. What are the main platforms used (Zoom, Skype, Facetime, WhatsApp, telephone, other)?
3. What are the main advantages and pitfalls of telemedicine?
4. What percentage of patients are you treating via telemedicine?
5. Will you maintain some telemedicine consultations after COVID-19 passes or revert back to 100% in-person visits?
6. Are hospitals encouraging more tele-visits or fewer?
7. What is the level of patient satisfaction with tele-visits? Is it easier or harder for them?
8. Do tele-visits allow you to gain a better perspective of your patients – to assess how they are coping, what their home situation is like, etc?

BIOGRAPHY

MONA ALKHAWAJAH
Dr. Mona Alkhawajah is currently a Consultant Neurologist at the Neurosciences Department of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh (KFSHRC-R), and is an Assistant Professor at Al Faisal University. . She has been the Program Director of the Neurology Residency Training Program at KFSHRC-R for almost 5 years.Dr. Mona Alkhawajah received her Medical Degree from King Saud University, Riyadh. She then pursued her residency training in Neurology at KFSHRC-R. After obtaining her Saudi Board in Neurology, she completed her Fellowship in Neuroimmunology at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. That was followed by another fellowship in Neuromuscular Diseases at Vancouver General Hospital.Dr. Alkhawajah is currently conducting several research projects in the field of MS. She has established the first Multiple Sclerosis support group in the Kingdom, the first meeting took place in June 2014. She is the organizer of the first (2015) and second (2017) walk for MS in Saudi Arabia, and is actively involved in educating the public about MS through conferences and media. 

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