Expanding Acute Stroke Care in Rural America: A Model for Statewide Success.

Background: The state of West Virginia (WV) is often seen as a health care desert with a scarcity of hospitals and resources. The prevalence of cerebrovascular disease and associated comorbidities are also some of the highest in the nation. Introduction: Ischemic stroke is a time-sensitive diagnosis. Prompt treatment in WV is difficult due to limited and isolated stroke-ready hospitals. Adoption of telestroke has helped to bypass these obstacles and improve access to care. Materials and
Methods: Retrospective analyses; using data from the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines Stroke Data Registry, and other statewide agencies, we looked for trends in the volume of patients treated with intravenous-tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in WV. We also reviewed data from West Virginia University's (WVU) telestroke database to assess trends in consult volumes and quality metrics.
Results: Since the establishment of WVU telestroke, the total number of stroke patients receiving tPA across the state increased by 173% from 2015 (259 patients) to 2018 (448 patients) (p < 0.0001). Telestroke consults made up 24% (107/448) of total statewide tPA administrations for 2018. Between 2016 and 2018, the total symptomatic hemorrhage rate for tPA treated patients through telestroke was 1% (3/292). Telestroke also facilitated local care by avoiding patient transfer on average 65% of the time.
Conclusion: Not only has telestroke increased the quantity of treated acute ischemic strokes, but it has also done so safely and effectively even in resource-poor areas. These findings demonstrate that telestroke is a useful tool for treating strokes, particularly those that happen far from stroke centers.