Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic occurred during planned neurodevelopmental follow-up of Colombian children with antenatal Zika-virus exposure. The objective of the study was to leverage the institution's telemedicine infrastructure to support international clinical child outcome research. In a prospective cohort study of child neurodevelopment (NCT04398901), we used synchronous telemedicine to remotely train a research team and perform live observational assessments of children in Sabanalarga, Colombia. An observational motor and conceptional standardized tool kit was mailed to Colombia; other materials were translated and emailed; team training was done virtually. Children were recruited by team on the ground. Synchronous activities were video-recorded directly to two laptops, each with a telehealth Zoom link to allow simultaneous evaluation of “table” and “standing” activities, and backup recordings were captured directly on the device in Colombia. The U.S. team attended live over Zoom from four states and five distinct locations, made observational notes, and provided real-time feedback. Fifty-seven, 3–4-year-old children with Zika-virus exposure and 70 non-exposed controls were studied during 10 daytrips. Direct laptop recording ensured complete record of child activities due to internet outages. Telemedicine can be used to successfully perform international neurodevelopmental outcome research in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telemedicine can benefit global health studies.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 388-392 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2024 |
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Thrasher Research Fund and by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (grant number R01HD102445). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors appreciate the support of the Telemedicine Department at Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, and the Children's National Telemedicine Director, Clarence Williams. The authors appreciate Jorge Manotas Reyes for his help with study logistics and patient scheduling in Sabanalarga, Colombia. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Thrasher Research Fund and by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (grant number R01HD102445). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Keywords
- Colombia
- Telemedicine
- Zika virus
- child health research
- international
- virtual
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Informatics
