22.08.12
Virtual consultation service benefits stroke patients
A telecare service for stroke patients has led to improved care and greater collaboration across the Cardiac and Stroke network in Lancashire and Cumbria.
Eight hospitals are linked together in the scheme, known as Telestroke. Broadband teleconferencing equipment installed by patients beds allows 15 stroke consultants to provide 24/7 thrombolysis treatment and offer out of hours clinical advice from their homes.
A Telecart allows a two-way virtual consultation to take place, where consultants can see and speak to patients. Since its launch one year ago, 343 advice calls have taken place, 319 assessments and 131 patients thrombolysed.
Dr Paul Davies, the elderly care consultant who led the development, said: “If a patient arrives in hospital with a stroke outside of the normal working day, we can start a Telestroke consultation.
“We can perform an examination with the help of the local team to decide whether the symptoms have been due to a stroke and whether thrombolysis treatment is appropriate.”
“Thrombolysis treatment can only be given to patients within four and a half hours of the onset of their stroke so time is core to this treatment and Telestroke has helped improve the speed of patient diagnosis.
“The sooner treatments can be provided, the better the outcome for patients. One year on, I am delighted to say that the service is still going strong and we have treated a large number of patients very successfully.”
The eight hospitals who provide the Telestroke service are Blackpool, Blackburn, Preston, Southport, Lancaster, Barrow-in Furness, Carlisle and Whitehaven, and the equipment is provided by Virgin Media Business.
Tell us what you think – have your say below, or email us directly at [email protected]