Telestroke services involve the use of telemedicine technology to connect stroke specialists, often located at major hospitals, with patients experiencing stroke symptoms at regional community hospitals. Through live two-way video connections, telestroke neurologists can evaluate patients, recommend treatment plans, and provide ongoing supervision of care in real-time. This allows patients in remote or rural areas to access specialized stroke expertise regardless of location, bypassing the need for time-consuming ambulance transfers.

Benefits of Telestroke for Patients

By shortening the time needed to confirm a stroke diagnosis and begin treatment, telestroke services can significantly improve patient outcomes. For those suffering an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot, every minute counts - studies show that for every 15 minutes treatment is delayed, a patient loses 1.9 million neurons and 13,800 neurons die each second. With telestroke, on-call specialists can evaluate patients immediately upon arrival, meaning treatments like clot-busting medications or mechanical thrombectomy can begin much sooner. This results in less brain damage and higher rates of survival without disability. Telestroke Services also increases access to care in underserved areas where stroke specialists may not otherwise be available around the clock.

Telestroke Workflow and Technologies Used

When a patient enters an emergency department with stroke symptoms, nurses and physicians first collect vital signs, perform a physical exam and order CT scans. They then connect via secure HIPAA compliant videoconferencing with an off-site neurologist. High-quality cameras integrated into telemedicine carts allow specialists to view the patient remotely along with their scans. Digital pens allow annotations directly on images for discussion. Specialized stroke evaluation scales are conducted through the video connection to ascertain deficits. If treatment is indicated, the telestroke neurologist guides the onsite team in administration and provides ongoing management and supervision as needed. Secure messaging systems also facilitate collaboration between teams beyond the video visit.

Ensuring Optimal Diagnosis and Treatment through Telestroke

To guarantee patients receive the same standards of care via telestroke as they would receive from an onsite specialist, extensive training and credentialing is required. Neurologists must demonstrate competency in evaluating patients via telemedicine, including the nuanced skills of physical exam through video and relaying treatment plans remotely. Onsite teams also require specific telestroke training to learn optimal camera positioning, communication techniques and workflow. Rigorous quality assurance programs continuously monitor practices to identify opportunities for improvement. Certification from telehealth accrediting bodies provides an additional level of accountability. When implemented appropriately with credentialed teams, numerous studies have found telestroke diagnosis and treatment recommendations match those of onsite specialists with high accuracy.