Study Finds Virtual Neurologist Visits Effective for New Patients

A recent study analyzing first-time neurology patients found no overall difference in rates of follow-up clinic visits, emergency department visits, or hospitalizations within 90 days between those who had an initial virtual visit and those who had an in-person visit. The research, which examined data from the early COVID-19 pandemic, did identify condition-specific variations in follow-up patterns.

"Overall, our results suggest that virtual visits are appropriate for an initial neurologic evaluation across a range of conditions." — Dr. Chloé E. Hill, lead study author.

Study Design and Scope

The research, published in the journal Neurology on April 22, 2026, and supported by the American Academy of Neurology, analyzed electronic medical record data from three academic health systems.

• Time Period: Data was collected from first-time patient visits with a neurology clinician between September 2020 and December 2021.
• Participants: Researchers matched 8,202 virtual visits to 8,202 in-person visits based on factors including age, sex, and previous healthcare use.
• Conditions Analyzed: Patients were grouped by diagnosis, including:
  • Dementia
  • Epilepsy
  • Headache
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Stroke
  • Sleep disorders

Overall Findings

The study reported no significant overall differences in several key 90-day outcome measures between the virtual and in-person visit groups.

• Clinic Follow-Up: Approximately 25% of all patients had a follow-up neurology clinic visit within 90 days, with no significant difference between the two groups.
• Emergency Care and Hospitalization: Rates of emergency department visits and hospitalizations within 90 days were also similar overall.

Condition-Specific Variations

When analyzed by specific neurological conditions, the study identified differences in follow-up patterns.

Higher Follow-Up After In-Person Visit:

• Dementia: In-person first visits were associated with a higher 90-day follow-up clinic visit rate.

Higher Follow-Up After Virtual Visit:

• Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis: Virtual first visits were associated with higher 30-day and 90-day follow-up clinic visit rates.
• Headache: Virtual first visits were associated with a higher 90-day follow-up clinic visit rate.

Higher Hospitalization Rate:

• Stroke: There were more hospitalizations within 90 days following a virtual first visit compared to an in-person first visit.

Context and Limitations

Dr. Chloé E. Hill of the University of Michigan, the study's lead author, noted that while telemedicine is known to improve access and has high satisfaction scores, less research has been done on its effectiveness for new neurology patients compared to in-person care.

Hill added that future research should investigate whether people with different conditions may benefit more from one particular type of visit.

The researchers identified several limitations to the study, primarily related to its timeframe.

• The data was collected during the early COVID-19 pandemic, before widespread vaccine availability.
• Care-seeking behavior during this period may have been affected by the pandemic.
• The researchers stated that data from more recent years may show different patterns of medical care use and should be analyzed in future studies.