title: A one-to-one telestroke network: the first Italian study of a web-based telemedicine system for thrombolysis delivery and patient monitoring.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinica Neurologica II, via Facciolati 71, 35127, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nardetto
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dario
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Ospedale Ca' Foncello, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tonello
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Ospedale Ca' Foncello, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta Carla
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Brunelli
authors.affiliation: Azienda ULSS 8 Asolo, Asolo, Italy.
authors.forename: Manola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lisiero
authors.affiliation: Azienda ULSS 7 Pieve di Soligo, Pieve di Soligo, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.affiliation: Consorzio Arsenal, Veneto Region, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saccavini
authors.affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scannapieco
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinica Neurologica II, via Facciolati 71, 35127, Padua, Italy. bruno.giometto@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giometto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents
keywords: Acute Stroke; Iv thrombolysis; Telemedicine