Teleneuropsychology in Latin America : Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Olavarria Vera, Loreto and Dechent, Claudia and Parra Rodriguez, Mario and Crivelli, Lucía and Custodio Capuñay, Nilton Santos and Dozzi Brucki, Sonia Maria and Okada-Oliveira, Maira and Robert, Phillip and Quiroz, Yakeel T. and Antivilo-Bruna, Andres and Arboleda Ramirez, Alejandra and Lillo, Patricia and Carello, María Agostina and Torralva, Teresa and Duran-Aniotz, Claudia and Allegri, Ricardo and Slachevsky Chonchol, Andrea (2025) Teleneuropsychology in Latin America : Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dementia & Neuropsychologia. ISSN 1980-5764 (In Press)

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of teleneuropsychology (TeleNP) to deliver remote neuropsychological services in settings with limited clinic access. Objective: To examine TeleNP practices in Latin America (LA), focusing on clinicians’ perceptions of utility, validity, and barriers. Methods: A descriptive, exploratory cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2020 and January 2021 among health professionals practicing neuropsychology in LA. The instrument, validated through a Delphi process, assessed professional background, TeleNP use, patient profiles, applied tests, and perceived advantages and challenges. Results: A total of 212 clinicians from 10 countries participated (mean age and clinical experience = 42.7 years and 12.3 years, respectively). Participants were primarily psychologists (75.9%), but also neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists and speech-language pathologists. TeleNP adoption rose from 4.2% regular and 13.7% occasional pre-pandemic use to 58% at the time of the survey, with significant cross-country variation (χ² = 79.0, df = 30, p < .001). TeleNP was used mainly for patient (90%) and informant (89.5%) interviews, screening (71.8%), and, in half of the cases, more extensive assessments. The advantages reported were improved access (81.5%), reduced transportation costs (79.8%), patient comfort (66.1%), and easier scheduling (66.1%). The main barrier identified was limited patient connectivity (84.7%). Regulatory knowledge was heterogeneous: 36.7% reported TeleNP authorization in their country, 23.5% reported no authorization, and 39.8% were unsure. Conclusion: TeleNP adoption in LA increased during the pandemic and is perceived as a valid, accessible modality to address geographic disparities in neuropsychological care. However, heterogeneous implementation, regulatory uncertainty, and technological limitations remain major challenges, underscoring the need for standardized guidelines.

ORCID iDs

Olavarria Vera, Loreto, Dechent, Claudia, Parra Rodriguez, Mario ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2412-648X, Crivelli, Lucía, Custodio Capuñay, Nilton Santos, Dozzi Brucki, Sonia Maria, Okada-Oliveira, Maira, Robert, Phillip, Quiroz, Yakeel T., Antivilo-Bruna, Andres, Arboleda Ramirez, Alejandra, Lillo, Patricia, Carello, María Agostina, Torralva, Teresa, Duran-Aniotz, Claudia, Allegri, Ricardo and Slachevsky Chonchol, Andrea;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)