Design and Assessment of an Electronic Neurology Consultation System to Improve Access to Specialized Care in Rwanda, Case study : Ndera Hospital

Background: Globally, Neurological disorders pose significant challenges, with limited expertise and accessibility to specialized healthcare services. According to the report published in 2022 on Africa, there are only 0.043 neurologists for every 100,000 individuals in Africa.  Rwanda has only six neurologists nationwide to cover the entire country. An e-consultation system is needed in Rwanda to enhance accessibility to healthcare by connecting primary healthcare with specialized care. Methods: The study involved 203 patients aged between 20 above 56 from Ndera Hospital Neuropsychiatric Hospital. We used a cross-sectional study design. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and correlation tests were used for data analysis using SPSS version 27. Results: The results revealed that most 196 (98%) were familiar with neurological disorders. Regarding primary health center visits for neurology service, the majority 160(75.0%) reported frequent visits. Only 4(1.0%) reported never visiting primary health centers. In addition, the majority of respondents 192 (90.6%) also had no knowledge or exposure to e-consultation services. Almost all 199(99.5%) participants indicated the need for a new healthcare structure with more features. Conclusion: The results revealed familiarity with neurological disorders among participants Also, the majority reported the need for a new neurology system that could be the solution to the existing challenges.  Key words: Need assessment, Neurology, electronic consultation system, patients