Using telemedicine for early Friedreich's ataxia consultations
Susan Perlman, MD, discusses utilizing telemedicine and other digital tools in early neurologist consultations for diagnosing potential cases of Friedreich’s ataxia.
About Susan Perlman, MD
Susan Perlman, MD, is a clinical professor of neurology and the director of the Ataxia Center at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her specialty is ataxias, including Friedreich’s ataxia. She is also the director of clinical trials in UCLA’s Program in Neurogenetics and sits on the Medical and Research Advisory Board at the National Ataxia Foundation.
Transcript
Underserved areas, rural areas that don’t have ready access to specialists — neurologists, and pediatric neurologists. You know, a patient with a balance problem, you know, may wait months in order to be able to arrange a trip to a specialty center.
With the advent of, an acceptance of, telemedicine — you know, probably the only benefit to come out of the COVID pandemic — it’s now easy to contact another physician even while the patient is in your office to have a discussion about a possible diagnosis of Friedreich’s.
Similarly, for the purposes of monitoring patients who are under treatment, telemedicine visits, you know, are becoming very popular, as well as wearable sensors. If you are investigating — treating — somebody with a gait problem, you can get various gait parameters that you can measure with a smart watch.
So I think the electronic opportunities are making it easier for people to access specialty care.
David Lynch, MD, PhD, is the director of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.