About Careers Internship MedBlog Contact us
Medindia LOGIN REGISTER
Advertisement

Telemedicine Allows Better Stroke Treatment Decisions Than Telephone Consultations

by Hannah Punitha on August 5, 2008 at 7:40 PM
 Telemedicine Allows Better Stroke Treatment Decisions Than Telephone Consultations

Establishing audio-video contacts between doctors and patients through the internet may have an immediate and profound impact on the treatment of stroke patients throughout the world, say researchers.

Dr. Brett C. Meyer, Co- Director of the UC San Diego Medical Center Stroke Center, describes this approach as telemedicine.

Advertisement

He and his colleagues studied the use of a site-independent telemedicine system while being used to provide remote consultation, leading to treatment decisions about stroke patients.

The researchers say that their main objective was to determine whether such an approach could allow doctors to make good treatment decisions, and better decisions than telephone consultations, when evaluating stroke patients across distant sites.
Advertisement

The results of the STRokE DOC trial, based on 222 patients cases, showed that telemedicine evaluation actually led to better decision-making than telephone consultations in the care of those patients.

A research article in the journal Lancet Neurology says that STRokE DOC connects stroke experts located at a "hub" site to the patient at a remote but connected "spoke" site via the Internet.

The article adds that the audio/video teleconsultation system allows the stroke expert real-time visual and audio access to the patient, medical team and medical data at the remote site.

"We assumed that telemedicine was a good idea, but it hadn't been scientifically tested until now. Using STRokE DOC, our stroke team physicians were able to evaluate the patient and help make the correct decision about treatment over 98 percent of the time, compared to only 82 percent of the time when doing a telephone consultation to a remote site," said Meyer, who is also associate professor of neurosciences at the UCSD School of Medicine.

UC San Diego stroke team doctors can access the telemedicine system from any location with an Internet connection, enabling them to rapidly connect with an emergency medicine practitioner, the patient and perhaps their family members at the "spoke".

The system not only allows the specialists to view physical signs of a possible stroke in order to assess the patient's condition, but also to speak to the patient, family members, nurses and attending physicians, as well as directly review CT scan images of the patient's brain.

Patients and their families can see, hear, and communicate directly with the stroke expert.

"When a person suffers a stroke, time is of the essence," Meyer said, adding that waiting too long to give the drug can result in bleeding in the brain, or even death.

"If you make a poor decision using a telephone consultation, you potentially put the patient at risk for a poor outcome. The question we set out to ask with this five-year study was, 'did we make the right decision?' The answer was overwhelmingly, yes," Meyer added.

He believes that the proof that telemedicine results in better treatment decisions than telephone consultations may lead to some immediate changes in how stroke patients in remote areas are evaluated and treated.

"Rural physicians can now provide much needed specialty care to their patients via telemedicine. This is welcome news for rural healthcare providers in the U.S.," said Dr. George Rodriguez of El Centro Regional Medical Center in California, a rural community partner with UC San Diego in its STRokE DOC program and a participating spoke hospital in the clinical trial.

The UC San Diego researchers say that the next step is a study to evaluate the long-term health outcomes of patients.

"What this study tells us is that we need a bigger trial to determine the difference - if any - in clinical outcomes for these patients," they say.

The reliability of telemedicine had already been established, as reported in the journal Neurology in 2005, where the UC San Diego team studied Internet-based remote video evaluations of acute stroke patients.

Source: ANI
SPH
Font : A-A+

Advertisement

Advertisement
Advertisement

Recommended Readings

Latest Research News

Disrupted Circadian Rhythm Elevates the Risk of Parkinson's Disease
Trouble with sleep and the body's clock may increase your risk for Parkinson's, as per a new study.
A Wake-Up Call for Women — Hot Flashes Could Point to Alzheimer's Risk
New study uncovers a link between nocturnal hot flashes and Alzheimer's risk in menopausal women, suggesting a potential biomarker.
Breakthrough Brain-Centered Approach Reduces Chronic Back Pain
Our discovery revealed that a minority of individuals attributed their chronic pain to their brain's involvement.
New Statement to Protect Athletes' Health Published
Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport syndrome is overlooked by athletes and can be worsened by 'sports culture' due to its perceived short-term performance benefits.
Brain Circuits That Shape Bedtime Rituals in Mice
New study sheds light on the intrinsic, yet often overlooked, role of sleep preparation as a hardwired survival strategy.
View All
This site uses cookies to deliver our services.By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use  Ok, Got it. Close
MediBotMediBot
Greetings! How can I assist you?MediBot
×

Telemedicine Allows Better Stroke Treatment Decisions Than Telephone Consultations Personalised Printable Document (PDF)

Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested

You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends.

Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice.

Name *

Email Address *

Country *

Areas of Interests