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Benefits and drawbacks Telestroke and use of Telemedicine for Stroke Care Treatment

 

 

Telestroke - Use of Telemedicine for Stroke Care

 

Did you understand that the stroke burden in India is estimated to be much more than 1.5 million per year, out of which 70%-80% are ischemic, with nearly 1 stroke every single 40 seconds and stroke related-death every 4 minutes! Shocking isn’t it! As per the Indian Stroke Association (ISA) 2018, strokes will be the second most major cause of death in India and the cases have risen by 17.5% during the last 15 years. At this backdrop, there’s a pressing have to have for developing correct stroke care systems by using Telestroke services to provide enhanced and timely care to individuals across the country. Particularly, in terms of rural locations exactly where access to great and advanced treatment options are restricted, Telestroke management may very well be a boon. Prior to we look at the options of bridging the important gap that at present exists in stroke care, let’s fully grasp what it suggests along with its applications. Get a lot more details about Stroke Telemedicine

 

What exactly is Telestroke? What does the Telestroke network comprise of?

Telestroke is actually a web-based strategy for treating stroke sufferers by the electronic transfer of data (such as imaging and signs) using a particular camera and microphones to facilitate communication among any two locations. It makes it possible for a neurologist to examine a patient at one more hospital that may be miles away and to treat through thrombolysis by communicating with the onsite doctor available using the patient. This really is accomplished using the use of real-time audio-visual technology that may possibly support in improving outcomes in individuals getting this life-saving treatment in the correct time. The Telestroke model provides the foundation for collaborative, inter-professional care and augments local services which can be not immediately accessible. How - by leveraging remote expertise, resources, and also the standardization of processes. As ‘time-loss could cause brain-loss! ‘

 

Intriguing Reality

In India, the very first Telestroke hub and spoke model was used (using WhatsApp) inside tertiary care hospitals in Himachal Pradesh, as a hub (with neurologist) and district hospitals as spokes (without the need of neurologists). The neurologists in district hospitals were trained for stroke treatment and the ‘tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)’ was made out there at all these centres free of cost by means of hospital pharmacies. Neurologists at 2 tertiary care centres have been produced readily available for consultation more than phones. Around 26 individuals had received thrombolysis treatment via Telestroke and only two sufferers developed an intracranial bleed following thrombolysis, and both had been nonfatal.

 

Kinds of Stroke

There are actually mostly 3 varieties of stroke: transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke), ischemic stroke, and haemorrhagic stroke. Nearly 87% of acute strokes are ischemic and the treatment/recovery depend upon the kind of stroke one has. Time is the most significant element for treating a stroke patient as people that are treated within 90 minutes of a stroke have a drastically decrease risk of permanent brain damage or death. Acute stroke is actually a time-sensitive situation, and in most of the cases, the therapeutic window for thrombolytic therapy (tPA) is much less than 4.5 hrs. for it to be successful.

 

What is telestroke

 

How does it work?

“I can examine a person pretty interactively using the help of a doctor or perhaps a nurse on the other end and I can make a decision from the stroke severity as well as the style of stroke by searching at the patient and also the brain image, it’s just about like getting in the room.”

 

These words Dr Schwamm, a neurologist from Massachusetts General Hospital, states the effectiveness of Telestroke in treating stroke individuals who are not in the proximity of stroke individuals or obtainable ‘in-person’ for urgent care.

 

In a Telestroke consultation, if your primary physician suspects acute stroke symptoms, he/she will activate the stroke telemedicine hotline at the distant hospital; authorities are typically on get in touch with 24/7. The distant site’s on-call doctor commonly responds inside minutes. The neurologist at the distant site performs a live, real-time audio/video consultation, evaluates the patient’s test outcomes and, functions with your doctor to decide essentially the most acceptable treatment option. The neurologist also sends the treatment recommendation electronically to the hospital where the patient is getting monitored.

 

What’s vital for superior outcomes - identifying, addressing and monitoring progress at all stages in the consultation and post it also.

 

Benefits of Telestroke

The goal of a Telestroke consultation is always to maximize a patient’s recovery (reducing brain damage) by generating an correct diagnosis, figuring out eligibility for short-term therapy, and delivering the selected treatment. Apart from this, other benefits of Telestroke are:

 

Decrease healthcare charges

24/7 service so emergent/non-emergent individuals are catered to

Treatment options such as clot-busting drugs might be administered sooner

 Helps in lowering the risk for stroke-related disability

Enables on-going expert treatment in the patient’s local hospital and reduces the necessity for individuals to transfer to a distinct hospital

Remote access to many healthcare facilities so extra sufferers are addressed on time

COVID and remote health monitoring

The COVID-19 outbreak has made remote monitoring the new normal and it looks like a trend that is definitely here to stay, with or without the pandemic.

 

A current case of a 75 years old patient in the rural community could support this claim. Within 40 minutes of his stroke onset, distinct symptoms such as a facial droop, weakness, and numbness in the appropriate arm, slurred speech were noticed. Thanks to Telestroke care, on connecting with a neurologist through a video get in touch with, the physician addressing him was able to administer TPA soon after exclusion of haemorrhage inside 3 hours. Saved his life and brain damage also! Given that the pandemic imposes movement restrictions, the consulting neurologist, without the need of any interruption was capable to monitor his actions every day and was in a position to get a more precise reading of his situations.

 

A stroke survivor’s struggle with performing basic activities might be difficult but understanding that you simply have a doctor to seek the advice of anytime can give you ample reassurance.

 

Future and Conclusion

The primary aspect of connecting sufferers with all the group of experts for advisable stroke treatment by means of Telestroke is often achieved in India only if thrombolysis and imaging procedures are produced offered at all levels of health care. Whereas, maintaining in thoughts India’s flourishing technological sector and major communication networks, Telestroke is just not only valuable for emergency cases but also inside the pre-hospital ambulance setting, rehabilitation, the medical care unit, and outpatient stroke prevention clinics. This also indicates that bridging the gap amongst the neurologists and individuals that is at present 1: 5 lakhs might be addressed. Telestroke care can enhance the recovery of much more sufferers in addition to lessening the percentage of negative outcomes that at the moment happen.

 

A variety of healthcare facilities are producing efforts to improve quality and offerings of healthcare offered within the rural areas by means of Telestroke to a level comparable together with the urban locations. The ultimate concept is to decrease mortality and morbidity rate of stroke and enhance stroke care in India as it’s often about patient care!

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