For people with Parkinson’s disease, seeing a neurologist by telehealth from their homes may be as effective as their usual in-person care with their local physician, according to a new study from the American Academy of Neurology.

“Over 40% of people with Parkinson’s never receive care from a neurologist, yet studies have shown that people who see a neurologist are less likely to be hospitalized with illnesses related to Parkinson’s disease, have greater independence and are less likely to die prematurely,” says Dr. Ray Dorsey, a neurologist with the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York. “The results showed that these virtual house calls were feasible for people with Parkinson’s and care was as effective as with the in-office visits, and the virtual house calls provided the participants with convenience and comfort.”

Participants were mainly recruited through electronic outreach by the National Parkinson Foundation, PatientsLikeMe and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. A total of 927 people indicated interest in the study, and 195 were chosen to participate.

Participants received either their usual care through their usual providers or their usual care plus up to four visits by video conference with a neurologist who they had not seen before. The researchers found that the virtual house calls were as effective as in-person visits, with quality of life no better or worse for people receiving care at home than for people receiving care in the office.

The method was determined to be feasible, with 98% completing at least one in-home visit. The study also found that participants’ overall quality of care and the burden felt by caregivers was no different whether they had in-home visits or in-person visits.

Each virtual house call saved the patients an average of 169 minutes and nearly 100 miles of driving. 97% of patients and 86% of neurologists taking part in the research noted they were satisfied with the virtual visits. 55% of patients also preferred virtual visits over in-person visits.

One major barrier to implementing telemedicine is that telemedicine visits in the patient’s home are not covered by Medicare and only covered for people who live in rural areas.