Telehealth for remote stroke management

This article reviews the rationale for telestroke networks and their current implementation in Canada. Telestroke networks enable stroke-specific procedures to be performed by less experiences physicians under the guidance of stroke neurology experts. The article also presents evidence that the safety and effectiveness of intravenous alteplase in community hospitals in a telestroke network seems to be comparable to that achieved in dedicated stroke centres. It is thus a viable option to guarantee an aging population access to stroke care across large geographic regions with faster treatment and access to more advanced treatment options by means of transfer to a comprehensive centre if necessary. Although telestroke networks have an upfront implementation cost, they can lead to reduced direct and indirect costs for the healthcare system by reducing days spent in the hospital as well as disability with the need for long-term care. Telestroke networks can also be used for identification and enrolment of patients into emergency stroke trials and thus provides a more representative sample of the population and increase recruitment. Standardization of regional telestroke networks could lead to collaborations with larger data acquisitions for research purposes and quality control in the future. Teaser Stroke treatment is highly time-dependent to avoid disability or even death in adults. Telestroke networks enable stroke-specific procedures to be performed by less experienced physici...
Source: Canadian Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research