Neurosurgery to Overcome the Living with COVID-19 Era

Article information

J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2024;.jkns.2023.0196

Publication date (electronic) : 2024 February 26

doi : https://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2023.0196

Hinpetch Daungsupawong^,1, Viroj Wiwanitkit^2,3

¹Private Academic Consultant, Phonhong, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

²University Centre for Research & Development, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chandigarh University Gharuan, Mohali, India

³Department of Biological Science, Joesph Ayobabalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Nigeria

Address for correspondence : Hinpetch Daungsupawong Private Academic Consultant, Lak 52, Phonhong, Vientiane 10000, Lao People’s Democratic Republic E-mail : hinpetchdaung@gmail.com

Received 2023 September 6; Accepted 2023 September 15.

To the editor,

We would like to share our thoughts on the publication titled “The Direction of Neurosurgery to Overcome the Living with COVID-19 Era : The Possibility of Telemedicine in Neurosurgery [1].” The researchers looked through the computerized medical records of patients who got non-face-to-face care over the phone for a month during the hospital’s closure in April 2020. From July to December 2021, video discussions were also conducted with caregivers of patients in the neurosurgical intensive care unit. A survey was utilized to evaluate the participants’ satisfaction levels with the video consultations.

While the study is insightful, it has certain limitations. The small sample size of patients and caregivers in the study may have limited the generalizability of the data. Moreover, the lack of a control group that received in-person care made it challenging to ascertain whether the satisfaction levels and outcomes were solely attributable to the video consultations. The self-reported nature of the satisfaction survey responses could have been influenced by bias or social desirability. Also, the study lacks detailed information about the patients’ specific medical conditions or treatments, which makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of remote care. Finally, it’s important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic situation changes rapidly. The responses to problems at any given time can vary, and the impact of any other concurrent clinical issues during different periods should also be recognized [2].

In conclusion, despite the study indicating positive satisfaction levels with remote care via phone and video consultations, the small sample size, lack of a control group, potential self-report bias, and lack of specific patient information are significant drawbacks.