THE EFFICACY OF TELEMEDICINE IN NEONATAL CARE: REMOTE MONITORING OF HIGH-RISK INFANTS
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Keywords
Neonatal care, NICU follow-up, remote monitoring, telemedicine, high-risk infants, and developmental evaluation.
Abstract
Introduction: Telemedicine has been considered a reliable intervention solution in neonatal care, especially with infants requiring continuous monitoring after NICU release. Because of the higher load and limited opportunity to travel, remote is a viable solution to tackle the time-sensitive objective and developmental monitoring.
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of telemedicine in the remote monitoring and follow-up of high-risk neonates discharged from a tertiary-level NICU in Karachi, Pakistan.
Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was done at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology (SICHN) Korangi-5 Karachi from January 2024 to June 2024. High-risk neonates remained under close follow-up through teleconsultations and assessments from developmental checklists including the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).
Results: Concerning their involvement in the follow-up assessment, 92 percent of the participants completed the telemedicine intervention. It was identified that special care attention development concerns were present in 28% of all infants, and a referral was made immediately. At least 90% of the parents said they were satisfied with remote care, and patients were less likely to attend the hospital for non-emergency issues.
Conclusion: Telemedicine as a viable, culturally appropriate, and effective model for the delivery of neonatal care in resource-poor settings.
References
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Irfan Ali
Fellow NICU, Neonatal Paediatrics Department, Neonatal Medicine, FCPS Peads Medicine, Children Hospital Korangi 5/ Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology SICHN Karachi, Pakistan
Naseem Ahmed
Assistant Professor, Neonatal Paediatrics Department, FCPS Neonatalogy, Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology Karachi Pakistan.
Ehtisham Hussain
Assistant Professor, Neonatal Paediatrics Department, FCPS Neonatal Medicine, Children Hospital Korangi Karachi, Pakistan
Bela Bashir
Fellow NICU, Neonatal Paediatrics Department, Neonatal Medicine, FCPS Peads Medicine, Children Hospital Korangi 5/ Sindh institute of Child Health and Neonatology SICHN Karachi, Pakistan
Ejaz Ur Rehman
Assistant Professor Pediatrics, FCPS, United Medical and Dental College Karachi, Pakistan
Javaid Iqbal
Assistant Professor, Neonatal Paediatrics, SICHN, Korangi, Sindh Institute of Child Health and Neonatology, Korangi # 5, Pakistan
Nadeem Ahmed
Senior Medical Officer Registrar, Pediatrics Department, Medical Unit, MBBS, FCPS, National Institute of Child Health Karachi, Pakistan
Fayaz Ahmed
Assistant Professor, Neonatal Paediatrics, SICHN, Korangi, Sindh Institute of Child health and Neonatology, Korangi # 5, Pakistan