Telemedicine Applications in Acute Stroke Management
Summary
Telemedicine has transformed acute stroke care by enabling rapid specialist evaluation, imaging review and treatment decisions across geographical barriers. Early recognition of stroke symptoms and prompt initiation of time-sensitive therapies such as intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy are critical for minimising neurological damage. Telestroke networks integrate pre-hospital screening, emergency department triage, remote neurological consultation and teleradiology, thereby reducing treatment delays and improving access in rural or resource-limited settings. Advances in mobile applications and secure videoconferencing facilitate real-time discussion between on-site teams and stroke specialists, ensuring adherence to established protocols and quality metrics. Emerging technologies such as automated image analysis, cloud-based data sharing and artificial intelligence support decision support tools and continuous quality improvement. The global expansion of telemedicine for stroke reflects its capacity to redistribute expertise, harmonise care pathways and achieve outcomes comparable with comprehensive stroke centres, while addressing workforce shortages and health-care inequities.
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Telemedicine Applications in Acute Stroke Management publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in telemedicine applications in acute stroke management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Telestroke: Remote neurological consultation and decision support for patients with suspected acute stroke.
Teleradiology: Transmission and interpretation of medical imaging studies by off-site radiologists or stroke specialists.
Intravenous thrombolysis: Administration of clot-dissolving medication via a peripheral vein within a defined time window after stroke onset.
Mechanical thrombectomy: Endovascular procedure to remove intravascular occlusions in large cerebral arteries.
DWI-ASPECTS: Diffusion-weighted imaging modification of the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score, quantifying early ischaemic changes in the middle cerebral artery territory.
References
- Hyper-Acute Stroke Systems of Care and Workflow. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports (2024).
- A Smartphone Client-Server Teleradiology System for Primary Diagnosis of Acute Stroke. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2011).
- Role of Artificial Intelligence in TeleStroke: An Overview. Frontiers in Neurology (2020).
- Is telestroke more effective than conventional treatment for acute ischemic stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis of patient outcomes and thrombolysis rates. International Journal of Stroke (2023).
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