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A one-to-one telestroke network: the first Italian study of a web-based telemedicine system for thrombolysis delivery and patient monitoring

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Abstract

Over 10 years after European approval, thrombolysis is still limited by a restricted time window and non-optimal territorial coverage. Implementation of telestroke can give a growing number of patients access to treatment. We hereby present the first Italian telemedicine study applied to both the acute and the monitoring phase of stroke care. From January 2011 to December 2013, we tested a web-based, drip, and treat interaction model, connecting the cerebrovascular specialist of one hub center to the Emergency Department of a Spoke center. We then compared thrombolysis delivered using the telestroke model with thrombolysis provided at the Hub Stroke Unit at the time when the telemedicine program was activated. Telethrombolysis data were then compared with data from the two main international telestroke projects (TEMPiS and REACH), and other European telestroke studies performed at the time of writing. We collected a total of 131 thrombolysis procedures (25 telethrombolysis and 106 thrombolysis patients at the Stroke Unit). Statistical analysis with the t test yielded no statistically significant differences between the two populations in door-to-scan, door-to-needle (DTN), and onset-to-treatment times (OTT). Our OTT and DTN pathway times were longer than the TEMPiS and REACH studies but comparable with other European telemedicine trials, despite different models of interaction and number of centers. Our study in a northeastern province of Italy confirms the potential of applying telemedicine to a cerebrovascular pathology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Clinica Neurologica II, via Facciolati 71, 35127, Padua, Italy

    Lucia Nardetto & Bruno Giometto

  2. Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Padua, Italy

    Claudio Dario & Gianluigi Scannapieco

  3. Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Ospedale Ca’ Foncello, Treviso, Italy

    Simone Tonello & Marta Carla Brunelli

  4. Azienda ULSS 8 Asolo, Asolo, Italy

    Manola Lisiero

  5. Azienda ULSS 7 Pieve di Soligo, Pieve di Soligo, Italy

    Maria Grazia Carraro

  6. Consorzio Arsenal, Veneto Region, Italy

    Claudio Saccavini

Authors
  1. Lucia Nardetto
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  2. Claudio Dario
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  3. Simone Tonello
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  4. Marta Carla Brunelli
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  5. Manola Lisiero
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  6. Maria Grazia Carraro
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  7. Claudio Saccavini
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  8. Gianluigi Scannapieco
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  9. Bruno Giometto
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruno Giometto.

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Source of funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union under Grant Agreement No. C046273 (HEALTH OPTIMization throUgh telemedicine—Health Optiumum).

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Nardetto, L., Dario, C., Tonello, S. et al. A one-to-one telestroke network: the first Italian study of a web-based telemedicine system for thrombolysis delivery and patient monitoring. Neurol Sci 37, 725–730 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-016-2569-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-016-2569-y

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