Telemedicine for Parkinson's Disease: Limited Engagement between Local Clinicians and Remote Specialists

Introduction: The integration of remote specialists into local care teams has not been widely evaluated. Methods: Therefore, we surveyed clinicians whose patients with Parkinson's disease had participated in a national randomized controlled trial of video visits to determine (1) whether clinicians received recommendations from remote specialists; (2) whether those recommendations were implemented; (3) what barriers to specialty care local clinicians perceived; and (4) whether they would recommend video visits. Results: Of 183 clinicians surveyed, 89 (49%) responded. Less than half received the recommendations of remote specialists, but they implemented most of the recommendations they received and found them to be beneficial. Conclusion: The greatest perceived barrier among respondents was distance from patient to specialist, and 40% of local clinicians would recommend video visits. As telemedicine grows, improved communication between remote specialists and local clinicians is likely needed.