In the words of the National Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a stroke is a brain attack. What makes stroke terrifying is how quickly it permanently damages the brain when oxygen is no longer supplied to support brain function, making time an incredibly rare resource in these circumstances. To save time in the treatment of a stroke, a new telemedicine approach to stroke treatment, called telestroke medicine, is one of the most successful implementations of telemedicine that helps administer emergency treatment to patients just in time. In this article, we will give an overview of how telestroke medicine operates and discuss some of its advantages and implementations.

What is Telestroke Medicine and How Does It Work?

Mayo Clinic defines telestroke medicine, or stroke telemedicine, as treating stroke from a distant location. The patient at the originating site will be treated by stroke specialists from a distant site through the use of telecommunication equipment such as high-resolution telehealth cameras, medical monitors, internet and digital imaging communication systems, teleconferencing software, smartphones/tablets, and sometimes even through robotic telepresence. This allows the stroke specialists from the distant site to observe the real-time state of the patient to make accurate assessments and diagnoses.

This outlines the basic procedures of telestroke medicine:

1. Diagnostic/Neurological Examinations: The health practitioners on the originating site often start with imaging and diagnostic tests through telehealth cameras that track eye movement and digital imaging like CT scans to enable the stroke team on the distant site to identify the type of stroke, determine the best treatment approach, and provide guidance to the health practitioners via a teleconferencing session. The specialist team often consists of neurologists, radiologists, and possibly neurosurgeons, all of whom offer their expertise in the case of a stroke occurring.
2. Administration of Treatment: If the originating site has the proper personnel and equipment to administer treatment, treatment can begin immediately. Ischemic stroke is often treated with thrombolytic therapy if a stroke patient arrives within the 4.5-hour treatment window. Decisions about further interventions, like mechanical thrombectomy, are also made at this time. In the case of hemorrhagic stroke, reducing bleeding in the brain is of utmost importance, sometimes even requiring surgery.
3. Continued Monitoring, Care, and Rehabilitation: Continuous monitoring of the patient is then conducted in a stroke unit or ICU, so health practitioners can continuously care for the patient and conduct patient monitoring remotely and rehabilitation planning. After treatment can be conducted through telerehabilitation, making rehabilitation more accessible.

Advantages of Telestroke Medicine

Why should healthcare practitioners integrate telestroke medicine into their stroke treatment? The most convincing reasons are to save time and increase patient accessibility to stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

• Reduction of Time to Receiving Treatment: Undoubtedly, the biggest difference between Telestroke Medicine and Traditional Stroke Treatment is the time in which it can start. Telestroke medicine can begin much earlier than traditional stroke treatments, substantially reducing the risk of mortality and resulting in better patient outcomes due to faster intervention.
• Increased Accessibility to Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation: People who live in non-urban areas — such as seniors, rural residents, indigenous people, or low-income individuals — have a harder time traveling longer distances to receive stroke treatment. With telestroke medicine, these groups gain more access to stroke specialists. Stroke prevention and telerehabilitation are also simpler for patients, as they can access it at a location closer to home or even access from home.
• Reduce Costs: Since in-patient treatment and rehabilitation are extremely costly, hospitals can take advantage of telestroke networks, which according to research can help hospitals save over US$350,000 per year and US$2,227 per patient in nursing home costs.

Embracing Telestroke Medicine — A Prime Model of Effective Telehealth

Telestroke medicine emerges as a transformative force in stroke treatment, bridging the gap between patients and specialized care regardless of geographical constraints. By leveraging technology to assist with diagnosis and intervention, telestroke not only saves crucial time but also extends the reach of stroke specialists to communities previously underserved.

As we delve further into this series, exploring its applications in rural settings and urban centers, we uncover how its integration can transform healthcare.

Explore how AVer’s Connected Health Solutions offer a win-win for everyone involved and the future of Telestroke Medicine.