When Telestroke Programs Work, Hospital Size Really Does Not Matter.

Background There are still marked disparities in stroke care between rural and urban communities including difference in stroke-related mortality. We analyzed the efficiency of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) delivery in the spoke sites in our telestroke network to assess impact of telecare in bridging these disparities. Methods We analyzed critical time targets in our telestroke network. These included door-to-needle (DTN) time, door-to-CT (D2CT) time, door-to-call center, door-to-neurocall, and total consult time. We compared these time targets between the larger and smaller spoke hospitals. Results Across all the 52 spokes sites, a total of 825 stroke consults received intravenous tPA. When compared with larger hospitals (>200 beds), the smaller hospital groups with 0 to 25 and 51 to 100 beds had significantly lower D2CT time ( p -value 0.01 and 0.005, respectively) and the ones with 26 to 50 and 151 to 200 beds had significantly lower consult time ( p -value 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the overall DTN time when all the smaller hospital groups were compared with larger hospitals. Conclusion In our telestroke network, DTN times were not significantly affected by the hospital bed size. This shows that a protocol-driven telestroke network with frequent mock codes can ensure timely administration of tPA even in rural communities regardless of the hospital size and availability of local neurologists.

Ideal telestroke time targets: Telestroke-based treatment times in the United States stroke belt.

Background: Studying critical time interval requirements can enhance thrombolytic treatment for stroke patients in telestroke networks. We retrospectively examined 12 concurrent months of targeted time interval information in the South Central US telemedicine programme, Arkansas Stroke Assistance through Virtual Emergency Support (AR SAVES).Hypothesis: We hypothesised that consult data analysis would highlight areas for improvement to shorten overall door to Intra venous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration time. Methods: We analysed critical time targets for 238 consecutive telestroke neurology consults obtained over 12 months from AR SAVES spoke sites when tPA was administered. The following time intervals were analysed: emergency department (ED) door to Computed Tomography (D-CT); ED door to call centre (D-CC) for initiation of consult; ED door to neurology call (D-NC); neurology call to camera (NC-Cam); tele consult time (Con); ED door to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)/needle (DTN). Results: The median times of D-CT (13 min, inter quartile range (IQR) 6­22 min), D-CC (34 min, IQR 20­45 min), D-NC (40 min, IQR 21­71 min), NC-Cam (4 min, IQR 2­8 min), and Con (25 min, IQR 17­37 min) all contributed to a DTN median time of 71 min (IQR 50­104 min). A total of 238 patients received tPA with a 29.4% treatment rate and a DTN time of ≤60 min was achieved in 25.2% of patients. Conclusions: Focusing on reducing D-CC and Con times may help to achieve the DTN time of < 60 min for the majority of patients. Having ideal time targets for telestroke patients akin to traditional patients will help identify and improve the overall goal of a DTN time < 60 min.

Validation of Newly Developed Surveys to Evaluate Patients' and Providers' Satisfaction with Telehealth Obstetric Services.

Background: Patient and/or provider satisfaction and experience are among the most important indicators for quality assurance of health care services, including telehealth. Validated surveys should be used for this purpose to provide reliable information for a program evaluation. Objective: To validate the newly developed satisfaction surveys, report patient, and provider satisfaction with Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning Systems (ANGELS) telehealth services. Methods: Two self-administered paper surveys were developed by a multidisciplinary team. The surveys were validated among obstetric patients who received telehealth services in 2016 and providers in Arkansas from July to August 2017. Psychometric testing was performed to establish reliability and validity of both the surveys. Descriptive statistics was performed to describe patient and provider satisfaction. Results: A total of 89 patient- and 66 provider surveys were analyzed. Construct validity and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α >0.7) were confirmed on both the surveys. The majority of patients were highly satisfied with telehealth services and reported positive perceptions toward future use of services. In the past 12 months, telehealth (78.6%) was the most used ANGELS service by providers. Finally, >90% of the providers reported high satisfaction and rated telehealth services as "excellent." Conclusions: The newly developed patient and provider telehealth surveys were reliable and valid. The surveys also demonstrated that the telehealth services were well-accepted and highly valued in a sample of obstetric patients and providers. As both surveys are short, they can be used in routine evaluation of patient and provider satisfaction with similar telehealth programs in the country.

Women on Hormone Therapy with Ischemic Stroke, Effects on Deficits and Recovery.

BACKGROUND: Hormone replacement therapy (HT) for post-menopausal women is associated with increased incidence of ischemic stroke risk. Effects of HT on stroke related deficits and functional outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are uncertain. We retrospectively examined female consult data for HT use and National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS) at baseline and recovery for 2015 and 2016 in a large stroke telemedicine program. HYPOTHESIS: The age of women who acknowledged HT use will negatively impact stroke severity and outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed consult data from two consecutive years for all women and included HT use, current age, and baseline and 24 h NIHSS's. We included all women consults regardless of IV Alteplase treatment. 24 h NIHSS and three month modified Rankin scale (mRS) were included from women given IV Alteplase. RESULTS: Strokes were identified in 523 women and 244 women received Alteplase therapy. Women without HT use numbered 459 and 64 women listed HT use. Mean NIHSS scores regardless of HT use significantly improved 24 h NIHSS vs. baseline NIHSS (p<0.0001). Baseline NIHSS scores were significantly improved in women on HT vs. non-HT users (p=0.01) in women age 50 to 79 years. Although mean NIHSS scores at 24h was not different from HT to no HT use (4.9 ± 1.6 vs. 7.8 ± 0.6, p=0.08) a trend was present for lower NIHSS scores for women 50-79 years. The mRS scores at three months indicated significant improvements among HT users vs. non-HT use (1.46 ± 0.4 vs. 2.51 ± 0.2, p=0.05). CONCLUSION: While cautions persist on the use, route and dosage of HT for risks of ischemic stroke, the HT moderation of AIS deficits and outcomes in women <80 years of age warrants further investigation.

Distributing medical expertise: the evolution and impact of telemedicine in arkansas.

Arkansas's telemedicine system has evolved since 2003 from a support mechanism for high-risk pregnancy consultations to an initiative that spans medical specialties, including asthma care, pediatric cardiology, gynecology, and mental health. The system has also expanded care to diverse populations, including incarcerated women and people with HIV/AIDS. This article describes the system's evolution, organization, and diverse activities. It also shows how telemedicine can have a positive impact on a rural state and how such a state can become an engine for change regionally. The Arkansas telemedicine system faced classic challenges to uptake and function, in building and sustaining funding, in obtaining insurance reimbursement for services, and in educating patients and providers. The system's impacts on health outcomes and medical practice culture have also reached beyond patient care and provider support. The existing yet continually evolving telemedicine infrastructure and partnerships in Arkansas will respond to the state's inevitable health care reform adaptations from the Affordable Care Act and could provide direction for other states seeking to adopt or expand their telemedicine efforts.