Open-label, non-inferiority, teleconsultation with televisit study to compare efficacy, safety and users satisfaction of a TeleNeurological Support versus "in person" neurological examination in the emergency department

The investigtors are going to perform an interventional, open-label study on the use of teleconsultation in the emergency department focused on neurological diseases other than stroke (for which a specific protocol already exists) in two Hospitals of Modena province, Italy.

The study is aimed at developing a remote neurological consultancy system (teleconsultation) for patients with acute neurological symptoms in charge of hospital facilities without 24-hour availability of neurologist consultant.

Pilot project setting: a) ED of Modena Policlinico Hospital in the afternoon, night, and public holidays, time windows in which the Neurologist consultant is not present at Policlinico Hospital; b) ED of Mirandola Hospital.

The project (enrolment) is expected to be developed over a period of 6 months in which 100 patients will be enrolled.

The primary objective is to assess whether a TeleNeurological Evaluation and Support for the Emergency Department can guarantee a faster but qualitatively not inferior diagnostic/therapeutic work-up if compared with in person examination, assuring the availability of all the necessary examinations and treatments with a consistent time reduction.

Secondary objectives: to determine if the usage of a teleconsultation physician for neurological evaluation compared to a conventional physician "de visu" in urgent but non-life-threatening neurological cases, is superior regarding 1) effect evaluation, 2) process evaluation, and 3) cost-benefit analysis.

Outcome and process indicators will be assessed and compared in the following groups:

• Experimental group (cases): a) patients who access the Policlinico Hospital ED in the afternoon and night-time and on holidays; b) patients who access the Mirandola Hospital ED during the period of the study.
• Control Groups: a) retrospectively collected data on neurological consultation performed by OCB Neurology for Policlinico Hospital patients in the same time slots in the same months of the last two years.; b) retrospectively collected data on neurological consultation performed by Carpi Neurology for Mirandola Hospital patients in the same time slots in the same months of the last two years.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged > 18 years
• Symptoms related to possible acute / subacute neurological pathology, or worsening of known neurological pathology, for which the ED physician considers neurological consultation indicated / necessary.
• Signing of informed consent to remote neurological evaluation.

Exclusion Criteria:

• All life-threatening emergency cases, where the study procedure would interfere with clinical practice
• Patients with known neurological pathology or with clinical severity to such an extent that the need for admission to OCB/Carpi Neurology unit or to the internal wards of the Policlinico is immediately evident.
• Refusal of the patient/caregiver to perform remote neurological evaluation.

Data will be available at study end

Upon request to principal investigator