Telestroke in Nordland Hospital. A Study of a Telemedicine Network in Rural Hospitals

• Change in the proportion of stroke patients receiving thrombolysis treatment after the introduction of a telestroke service [ Time Frame: Approx. 30 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Door-to-(thrombolysis)needle-time [ Time Frame: 18 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Scores for functional outcomes at admission and discharge [ Time Frame: 18 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Proportion of patient transfers from Lofoten and Vesterålen in the acute phase to secondary level [ Time Frame: 18 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Proportion of stroke patients receiving "telestroke" examination [ Time Frame: 18 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Procedure: Telestroke
remote videoconference consultations

There is good evidence that the prognosis for patients with ischemic stroke is improved by thrombolysis in the acute phase. The challenge is the narrow time window: Thrombolysis should be given as soon as possible and not later than 4.5 hours after the first symptoms. In Norway, only approximately 2% of all stroke patients receive thrombolysis whereas 20 % are expected to benefit from such treatment (The Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2010). The low rate could be due to geographical conditions with long travel distances, lack of awareness in the population, but also little experience with the treatment in local hospitals may play a role.

The overall aim of this project is to improve health outcome for stroke patients by telemedicine. This study will investigate the potential outcome for stroke patients in small rural hospitals using a telestroke service.

The project will study the "patient flow‟ by analysing hospital information system (HIS) data as well as monitoring the teleconsultations and logging the main purpose for and results of the consultation. This will be conducted throughout the project, and analysed for a period of 18 months. Hospital data on diagnosis, thrombolysis frequencies, stroke complications like haemorrhage or stroke recidive, will be used in the analysis process.

Around 60 cases may potentially be included in the study during the 18 month observation period, which can be compared with register data from patients before the study. Control-groups have been considered, but found not ethical since the telestroke equipment is already installed in the two hospitals.

Log information from the Norwegian Health Net on the use of videoconferencing will be used as a basis for field observations and interviews and to verify the actual use of the system.

Corresponding with the logged data, semi-structured interviews will be conducted by making follow-up phone calls to hospital staff after the telestroke incidents. Using a qualitative approach, the number of follow-up calls will be decided in the process, adding up to app 20 cases. This method will be used to capture what happened in the concrete telestroke incident from the first call to the hospital and throughout the process, while the details of the session are still fresh. There will also be periods of fieldwork at all three hospitals. This will include observations at the hospital wards and during concrete telestroke consultations. Semi-structured focus groups interviews will be conducted with health personnel involved with stroke-patients, including ambulance personnel, doctors and nurses, as well as technical support. Fieldwork will take place early in the project phase, and then at intervals during the project period. Fieldwork and follow-up phone interviews at different times in the research period will capture potential changes in the stroke treatment over time.