Telestroke in Nordland Hospital. A Study of a Telemedicine Network in Rural Hospitals

NCT01582620 | Terminated

• 2 other identifiers: 2010/2277(REK)2277/2010 (REK)
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The purpose is to study the clinical, technological and organizational impacts of a telestroke service between Nordlandssykehuset, Bodø, and two small rural hospitals in Lofoten and Vesterålen. The stroke specialist in Bodø will examine the patient in cooperation with the doctor at the local hospital through video- and sound communication. Radiology images are transmitted using the RIS/PACS system. Telestroke consultations may be useful to assess whether the patient needs thrombolysis medication, and also whether there is a need for more advanced specialist neurological or neurosurgical treatment, supporting quick triaging and transfer to the appropriate unit. The study design is a multi-method approach using before-and-after hospital information data as well as registration forms monitoring patient outcome and pathways. The research questions will be approached from medical, organisational and technological perspectives. A telestroke service in North Norway is expected to face other challenges than those reported internationally: In Nordlandssykehuset, as in Helse Nord in general, the number of cases is low, clinicians have high turnover, technical support is not available 24/7 and severe weather conditions and long distances might add to the transport time. Primary hypothesis: The use of telestroke leads to faster and more accurate diagnosis and proper treatment Secondary hypothesis: Telestroke leads to improved overall patient treatment

Conditions

Stroke, Acute

Keywords

Cerebrovascular disorders; Telemedicine; remote consultation; rural; thrombolysis therapy; plasminogen activators; stroke care; stroke management

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in the proportion of stroke patients receiving thrombolysis treatment after the introduction of a telestroke service

  Approx. 30 months

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Door-to-(thrombolysis)needle-time

  18 months

• Scores for functional outcomes at admission and discharge

  18 months

• Proportion of patient transfers from Lofoten and Vesterålen in the acute phase to secondary level

  18 months

• Proportion of stroke patients receiving "telestroke" examination

  18 months

Interventions

Telestroke PROCEDURE

remote videoconference consultations

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients admitted to the two local hospitals diagnosed with acute cerebral stroke

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital of North Norway: lead
• Nordlandssykehuset HF: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Nordlandssykehuset HF Lofoten

Gravdal, Nordland, 8372, Norway

Location

Nordlandssykehuset HF Vesterålen

Stokmarknes, Norway

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stroke; Cerebrovascular Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Officials

• Heidi Jacobsen

  Norwegian center for integrated care and telemedicine, Tromsø Norway

  STUDY DIRECTOR

• Rolf Salvesen, PhD professor

  Neurological department, Nordlandssykehuset HF

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Stein Roald Bolle, PhD

  Norwegian center for integrated care and telemedicine, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 26, 2011
• First Posted: April 20, 2012
• Study Start: August 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2012
• Study Completion: March 24, 2020
• Last Updated: March 26, 2020

Record last verified: 2012-04

Locations

NO (2)