The pros and cons of digital health communication tools in neurosurgery: a systematic review of literature.

Effective communication is critical in healthcare facilitation. Our aim is to illustrate the impact of digital communication tools in the field of neurosurgery based on the cumulative recently published reports to show an evidence-based review of both benefits and limitations. We performed a systematic review of records published from January 2003 to March 2018. A specific set of keywords such as "digital" and "communication" were used on PubMed database to conduct a thorough online search. 13 articles, out of 52, were comprehensively studied after complying with our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Many of the reviewed studies reported several applications of digital health communication tools in neurosurgery including 46% (6/13) in the Emergency Room and 23% (3/13) in the Operating Room. 38.5% (5/13) were applied in teaching hospitals. Reviewed studies were divided into two groups according to their applications (interventional (3/13) and non-interventional (10/13)). In the Emergency Room, digital health tools facilitated timely diagnosis and management, while in the operating room it permitted revolutionary robotic surgery. It showed potential for "no-risk learning" at academic institutions. While the fruitful impacts were convincing of the digital communication tools' ability to enhance healthcare in neurosurgery, proper adherence to regulations against data loss and theft, two potential complications of digital tool misuse, must be maintained. Additionally, both time efficiency and the necessity of waiting for better implementation of communication tools proved to be obstacles to consistent digital tool integration.