TY - JOUR
T1 - Applications and impact of telemedicine for persons with epilepsy
T2 - a scoping review
AU - Sahu, Jitendra Kumar
AU - Coan, Ana Carolina
AU - Chan, Josephine
AU - Jocic-Jakubi, Bosanka
AU - Dhir, Pooja
AU - Niveditha, Mamidi
AU - Devi, Nagita
AU - Singh, Mamta Bhushan
AU - Shafer, Patricia Osborne
AU - Hsiang-Yu, Yu
AU - Ali, Amza
AU - Yoo, Ji Yeoun
AU - Zelano, Johan
AU - Sarfo, Fred Stephen
AU - Pablo Sebastián, Fortini
AU - Gwer, Samson Awili
AU - Rivera, Yanin
AU - Kissani, Najib
AU - Caraballo, Roberto Horacio
AU - Bansal, Dipika
AU - Trinka, Eugen
AU - Cross, J. Helen
AU - Samia, Pauline
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 British Epilepsy Association.
PY - 2026/3
Y1 - 2026/3
N2 - Telemedicine is emerging as a promising strategy to overcome geographical and specialist access constraints in epilepsy care. This scoping review, conducted by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Telemedicine Task Force, aimed to map the existing evidence on the applications, effectiveness, and challenges of telemedicine in epilepsy management. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, conducted up to May 2025 without language restrictions, identified original studies evaluating telemedicine for epilepsy diagnosis, management, or follow-up. Data were extracted and synthesized narratively. Of the 201 included studies, approximately 70% originated from high-income settings. Evidence demonstrated diagnostic accuracy ranging from 75% to 97%, cost savings of about US$30 per consultation, and high satisfaction levels among patients (87–95%) and physicians (74–94%). Telemedicine also reduced no-shows by 45%, ensuring continuity of care during healthcare disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, telemedicine is a feasible adjunct to conventional epilepsy care, enhancing access, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. To substantiate its role in diverse settings, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate long-term outcomes, equity, and sustainability.
AB - Telemedicine is emerging as a promising strategy to overcome geographical and specialist access constraints in epilepsy care. This scoping review, conducted by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Telemedicine Task Force, aimed to map the existing evidence on the applications, effectiveness, and challenges of telemedicine in epilepsy management. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, conducted up to May 2025 without language restrictions, identified original studies evaluating telemedicine for epilepsy diagnosis, management, or follow-up. Data were extracted and synthesized narratively. Of the 201 included studies, approximately 70% originated from high-income settings. Evidence demonstrated diagnostic accuracy ranging from 75% to 97%, cost savings of about US$30 per consultation, and high satisfaction levels among patients (87–95%) and physicians (74–94%). Telemedicine also reduced no-shows by 45%, ensuring continuity of care during healthcare disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, telemedicine is a feasible adjunct to conventional epilepsy care, enhancing access, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. To substantiate its role in diverse settings, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate long-term outcomes, equity, and sustainability.
KW - Barriers
KW - Epilepsy care
KW - Infantile spasms
KW - Telehealth
KW - Telemedicine
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105031867909
U2 - 10.1016/j.seizure.2026.01.016
DO - 10.1016/j.seizure.2026.01.016
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:105031867909
SN - 1059-1311
VL - 136
SP - 107
EP - 116
JO - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
JF - Seizure : the journal of the British Epilepsy Association
ER -