The corona pandemic necessitates infection control measures that are associated with a significant change in the care and treatment of people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In this situation, telemedical visits between doctors and patients take on a previously unknown significance.
Digital recording of SMA symptoms
During a telemedical visit, the systematic communication of symptoms and complaints by the patient is of particular importance for the doctor’s assessment. The FRS functional scale (Functional Rating Scale – Functional Rating Scale) is particularly suitable for the structured recording of SMA symptoms. It consists of 15 questions on common and treatment-relevant symptoms of SMA, which are answered by patients or relatives according to predefined answer options.
SMA app for recording the FRS function scale
During the telemedical visit by doctors from the outpatient clinic for ALS and other motor neuron diseases at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the FRS function scale (ALS-FRS-ex) is collected. For this purpose, 15 questions from the FRS functional scale are asked by the doctor and answered by the patient. An alternative to recording the FRS-Functional Scale by telephone is to answer the FRS-Functional Scale questions “online” in advance of the telemedical visit. The FRS functional scale can be collected via personal registration on the Outpatient Partner platform. Since March 25, 2020, the SMA app has also been available to collect the FRS functional scale on a smartphone or tablet.
SMA app to support telemedical visits
To support telemedical visits at the Charité in Berlin, we offer adult SMA patients the opportunity to complete an online survey of the FRS function scale via the SMA app. The use of the SMA app supports the outpatient clinic for ALS and other motor neuron diseases at Charité in preparing and effectively organizing the telephone visits. By recording the FRS function scale, it is possible for the attending physician to quickly record the past course of the disease.
For optimal support of telemedical treatment, which is particularly relevant in the context of the corona pandemic, we recommend a self-assessment of the FRS functional scale for adults with SMA every 1 month until further notice.
Help for using the SMA app
If you have any questions about installing and using the SMA app, please contact:
Friedrich Schaudinn
– App Manager –
support@ambulanzpartner.de
Tel. 030-81031410
Mobile: 0170-5564502
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More