title: Specific needs for telestroke networks for thrombolytic therapy in Japan.
abstract: The concept of telestroke networks has been proposed to overcome regional disparities in stroke treatment. Such networks do not yet operate in Japan. We aimed to determine the specific needs for telestroke networks and to estimate the effects on the number of thrombolytic therapies. Five of the 47 Japanese prefectures with various population densities to estimate the nationwide effect of telestroke networks were selected. The questionnaire survey was administered at hospitals in these prefectures that are authorized to admit patients with acute stroke. Low-volume hospitals that annually treated fewer than 12 patients with acute stroke had never used tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). The number of days when telestroke support might have been needed varied depending on the size of the population aged 65 years or older within a 30-minute-driving-time area of a hospital and the annual number of patients treated within 3 hours of onset. The geographic information system analysis showed that .6%-8.3% of the population lived in areas where they could not reach a hospital for acute stroke treatment within 60 minutes. If 24/7 full telestroke support was introduced to the existing hospitals, 6.8-69.3 more patients could be treated by intravenous (IV) tPA annually. These numbers exceeded the estimated annual increases of .8-13.7 more patients if a drip-and-ship telestroke network was introduced into an underserved area outside the 60-minute-driving-time area. This study uncovered that many Japanese stroke hospitals, especially low-volume facilities located in rural areas, do not perform IV tPA therapy in 24/7 fashion and telestroke support to these hospitals may be highly effective compared with the drip-and-ship network in an underserved area.
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: shinnai@marianna-u.ac.jp.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Imai
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Kenzo
authors: K
authors: Sakurai
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Yuta
authors: Y
authors: Hagiwara
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Heisuke
authors: H
authors: Mizukami
authors: Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D000368:Aged; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D061846:Hospitals, Low-Volume / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents
keywords: Telestroke; acute ischemic stroke; alteplase; telemedicine; thrombolysis