THE EFFICACY OF TELEMEDICINE IN NEONATAL CARE: REMOTE MONITORING OF HIGH-RISK INFANTS

Introduction: Telemedicine has been considered a reliable intervention solution in neonatal care, especially with infants requiring continuous monitoring after NICU release. Because of the higher load and limited opportunity to travel, remote is a viable solution to tackle the time-sensitive objective and developmental monitoring. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of telemedicine in the remote monitoring and follow-up of high-risk neonates discharged from a tertiary-level NICU in Karachi, Pakistan. Materials and Methods:  The cross-sectional study was done at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Sindh Institute of Child Health & Neonatology (SICHN) Korangi-5 Karachi from January 2024 to June 2024. High-risk neonates remained under close follow-up through teleconsultations and assessments from developmental checklists including the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS). Results: Concerning their involvement in the follow-up assessment, 92 percent of the participants completed the telemedicine intervention. It was identified that special care attention development concerns were present in 28% of all infants, and a referral was made immediately. At least 90% of the parents said they were satisfied with remote care, and patients were less likely to attend the hospital for non-emergency issues. Conclusion: Telemedicine as a viable, culturally appropriate, and effective model for the delivery of neonatal care in resource-poor settings.