Emergency department telemedicine consults decrease time to interpret computed tomography of the head in a multi-network cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Telemedicine can improve access to emergency stroke care in rural areas, but the benefit of telemedicine across different types and models of telemedicine networks is unknown. The objectives of this study were to (a) identify the impact of telemedicine on emergency department (ED) stroke care, (b) identify if telemedicine impact varied by network and (c) describe the variation in process outcomes by telemedicine across EDs.

Methods

A prospective cohort study identified stroke patients in four telemedicine networks between November 2015 and December 2017. Primary exposure was telemedicine consultation during ED evaluation. Outcomes included: (a) interpretation of computed tomography (CT) of the head within 45 minutes and (b) time to administer tissue plasminogen

SUBMITTER: Swanson MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7196443 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature