Telemedicine in headache care: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: Telemedicine is defined as video-based consultations with synchronous video and sound. This systematic review investigated the use of telemedicine for headache patients. The primary outcomes of interest were treatment efficacy, feasibility, safety, convenience, compliance, and patient satisfaction.

METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase. Thirteen articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. A systematic review protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, registration number CRD42021265875.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in treatment efficacy, patient satisfaction, compliance or safety using telemedicine when compared to traditional consultations. Telemedicine was found to be convenient due to being less time-consuming and expensive, especially for patients with limited access to health care. Despite the frequent occurrence of technical errors, telemedicine was found to be feasible.

CONCLUSION: Telemedicine consultations are similar in quality to traditional in-office headache consultations and can be a more convenient solution for eligible headache patients.