SynthesisJournal of the neurological sciences2017
Tele-neurology in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review of the literature.
Synthesis in Journal of the neurological sciences, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Use of Technology to Support Health Care Providers Delivering Care in Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Umbrella Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Tele-Rehabilitation after Stroke: An Updated Systematic Review of the Literature.Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2018Pooled it
- Navigating neurosurgical care in low- and middle-income countries from Africa: a narrative review of barriers and facilitators.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2025Review
- Utilizing an mHealth Platform and Community Health Workers to Enhance Epilepsy Screening and Treatment in a Rural Setting in Mali: A Closed Cohort Study.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2025Article
- Telemedicine as a counselling tool for nurses in Central Africa.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Observational
- The Current State of Diagnostics for Neuroimmunological Disorders in Africa.Journal of central nervous system disease · 2025Article
- Global, regional, and national health inequalities of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease in 204 countries, 1990-2019.International journal for equity in health · 2024Article
- Views of Service Users, Their Family or Carers, and Health Care Professionals on Telerehabilitation for People With Neurological Conditions in Ghana: Qualitative Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2024Article
- Article
- Delivery of Allied Health Therapies to People with Parkinson's Disease in Africa.Journal of Parkinson's disease · 2024Review
- High acceptability, convenience and reduced carbon emissions of tele-neurology outpatient services at a regional referral centre in Kenya.eNeurologicalSci · 2023Article
- The impact of COVID-19 on patients with neurological disorders and their access to healthcare in Africa: A review of the literature.Brain and behavior · 2022Review
- Long-term determinants of death after stroke in Ghana: Analysis by stroke types & subtypes.Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2022Article
- Virtual healthcare services and digital health technologies deployed during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa: a systematic review.Global health journal (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2022Review
- Implementation of a Teleneurology Clinic in Zambia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Annals of neurology · 2022Observational
- Utility of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. A rapid review.Human behavior and emerging technologies · 2021Review
- Mapping the Diverse and Inclusive Future of Parkinson's Disease Genetics and Its Widespread Impact.Genes · 2021Review
- Article
- Neurological disorders encountered at an out-patient clinic in Ghana's largest medical center: A 16-year review.eNeurologicalSci · 2021Article
- Review of Systematic Reviews in the Field of Telemedicine.Medical journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe rapid advancement in telecommunications on the African continent has opened up avenues for improving medical care to underserved populations. Although the greatest burden of neurological disorders is borne by Low-and-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) including sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a profound paucity of neurologists to serve the population. Telemedicine presents a promising avenue for effective mobilization and utilization of the few neurologists in Africa.
objectiveTo systematically review the published literature on the use of telemedicine for improved care and outcomes for patients with neurological disorders in SSA.
methodsWe searched PubMed and Cochrane library from January 1, 1980 to April 30, 2017 using the following keywords: "Telemedicine neurology Africa", "Teleneurology Africa", "Telestroke Africa", "Telerehabilitation Africa", "Telemedicine for epilepsy", "Telemedicine for Parkinson's disease Africa", "Telemedicine for dementia Africa", "Telehealth neurology Africa". Our inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials, or case series that reported the utilization of telemedicine for care/education of individuals with neurological disorders in sub-Saharan Africa.
resultsThis search yielded 6 abstracts. By consensus between two investigators, 1 publication met the criteria for inclusion and further review. The one study identified utilized telemedicine for the purpose of improving education/knowledge of 16 doctors and 17 allied health professionals in Parkinson's disease (PD) in Cameroon. The study noted feasibility and satisfaction of participants with telemedicine as well as improved knowledge base of participants after the educational course but noted access to healthcare by patients did not change. No studies have evaluated the use of telemedicine for care of patients with neurological disorders.
conclusionThe indication is that teleneurology may be feasible in SSA and studies are needed to assess feasibility, acceptability, efficacy, cost-effectiveness of this promising discipline of neurology in these resource-limited settings. We propose the setting up of trans‑continental, inter-regional, intra-regional, and national networks of neurologists to utilize teleneurology platforms to improve the reach of neurology care in SSA.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.