Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic
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 barrie...
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2026
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| author | Loreto Olavarria Vera Claudia Dechent Mario Parra Rodrigues Lucía Crivelli Nilton Santos Custodio Capuñay S. M. D. Brucki Maira Okada-Oliveira Phillip Robert Yakeel T. Quiroz Andrés Antivilo-Bruna A. Arboleda-Ramírez Patricia Lillo Agostina Carello Teresa Torralva Teresita Montiel Ramos Claudia Duran‐Aniotz Ricardo Allegri Andrea Slachevsky |
| author_browse | A. Arboleda-Ramírez Agostina Carello Andrea Slachevsky Andrés Antivilo-Bruna Claudia Dechent Claudia Duran‐Aniotz Loreto Olavarria Vera Lucía Crivelli Maira Okada-Oliveira Mario Parra Rodrigues Nilton Santos Custodio Capuñay Patricia Lillo Phillip Robert Ricardo Allegri S. M. D. Brucki Teresa Torralva Teresita Montiel Ramos Yakeel T. Quiroz |
| author_facet | Loreto Olavarria Vera Claudia Dechent Mario Parra Rodrigues Lucía Crivelli Nilton Santos Custodio Capuñay S. M. D. Brucki Maira Okada-Oliveira Phillip Robert Yakeel T. Quiroz Andrés Antivilo-Bruna A. Arboleda-Ramírez Patricia Lillo Agostina Carello Teresa Torralva Teresita Montiel Ramos Claudia Duran‐Aniotz Ricardo Allegri Andrea Slachevsky |
| author_sort | Loreto Olavarria Vera |
| collection | Producción científica |
| description | 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<0.001). 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:cris.upeu.edu.pe:20.500.15037/1344 |
| institution | UPeU |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
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| spelling | oai:cris.upeu.edu.pe:20.500.15037/13442026-10-30T16:15:37ZTeleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemicLoreto Olavarria VeraClaudia DechentMario Parra RodriguesLucía CrivelliNilton Santos Custodio CapuñayS. M. D. BruckiMaira Okada-OliveiraPhillip RobertYakeel T. QuirozAndrés Antivilo-BrunaA. Arboleda-RamírezPatricia LilloAgostina CarelloTeresa TorralvaTeresita Montiel RamosClaudia Duran‐AniotzRicardo AllegriAndrea SlachevskyPandemicLatin AmericansNeuropsychologyDelphi methodMedicinePerceptionPsychologyAuthorizationHealth professionalsFamily medicineBest practiceNursingMEDLINEMedical educationCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Health careExploratory researchInterimPsychiatryNormativePolitical scienceTriagePandemicLatin AmericansNeuropsychologyDelphi methodPerceptionAuthorizationHealth professionalsHealth Sciences Medicine Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Telemedicine and Telehealth ImplementationSocial Sciences Psychology Clinical Psychology COVID-19 and Mental HealthSocial Sciences Psychology Applied Psychology Digital Mental Health InterventionsABSTRACT. 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<0.001). 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.Articlehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41809028https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2025-042910.1590/1980-5764-dn-2025-0429https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.15037/1344W7134055283enDementia & Neuropsychologia1980-57642026-01-012026-06-13T09:54:06Z2026-06-13T09:54:06Z |
| spellingShingle | Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Medicine Perception Psychology Authorization Health professionals Family medicine Best practice Nursing MEDLINE Medical education Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Health care Exploratory research Interim Psychiatry Normative Political science Triage Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Perception Authorization Health professionals Health Sciences Medicine Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation Social Sciences Psychology Clinical Psychology COVID-19 and Mental Health Social Sciences Psychology Applied Psychology Digital Mental Health Interventions Loreto Olavarria Vera Claudia Dechent Mario Parra Rodrigues Lucía Crivelli Nilton Santos Custodio Capuñay S. M. D. Brucki Maira Okada-Oliveira Phillip Robert Yakeel T. Quiroz Andrés Antivilo-Bruna A. Arboleda-Ramírez Patricia Lillo Agostina Carello Teresa Torralva Teresita Montiel Ramos Claudia Duran‐Aniotz Ricardo Allegri Andrea Slachevsky Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Teleneuropsychology in Latin America: Experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | teleneuropsychology in latin america experiences and challenges during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Medicine Perception Psychology Authorization Health professionals Family medicine Best practice Nursing MEDLINE Medical education Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Health care Exploratory research Interim Psychiatry Normative Political science Triage Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Perception Authorization Health professionals Health Sciences Medicine Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation Social Sciences Psychology Clinical Psychology COVID-19 and Mental Health Social Sciences Psychology Applied Psychology Digital Mental Health Interventions |
| topic_facet | Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Medicine Perception Psychology Authorization Health professionals Family medicine Best practice Nursing MEDLINE Medical education Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Health care Exploratory research Interim Psychiatry Normative Political science Triage Pandemic Latin Americans Neuropsychology Delphi method Perception Authorization Health professionals Health Sciences Medicine Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation Social Sciences Psychology Clinical Psychology COVID-19 and Mental Health Social Sciences Psychology Applied Psychology Digital Mental Health Interventions |
| url | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41809028 https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2025-0429 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.15037/1344 |
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