RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The Stroke Angel initiative investigates the implementation of telemedicine for improvement of preclinical communication between emergency medical services (EMS) and stroke units in cases of acute stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Stroke Angel is a technical system for the telemedical prenotification of patients in cases of suspected stroke at a stroke unit by the EMS. Within the framework of an observational study, the team has been investigating the effects of the system on door-to-computed tomography (CT) and door-to-needle times as well as the lysis rate in the neighboring regions of Rhön-Grabfeld and Bad Kissingen since 2005. RESULTS: The system supports the acute treatment of neurological emergencies and functions as a catalyst for the interlinking of medical institutions in the region as well as for communication between emergency physicians/EMS and hospital physicians. The use of a computer-based data collection enables a continuous improvement process leading to an acceleration of internal clinical procedures and an increase of the lysis rate with the mortality rate staying constant. CONCLUSION: Telemedicine is applicable in the preclinical care of acute stroke and, thanks to the computer-based data collection, leads to an increase in process transparency, which helps to improve the internal clinical processes in and around a stroke unit.
