Telestroke value through the eyes of emergency medicine providers: A counterfactual analysis

Emergency Medicine (EM) provider experiences consulting telestroke (TS) are poorly studied. In this qualitative study, we aimed to determine how TS changes patient management and to measure TS effects on EM provider confidence with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treatment.

We designed a survey for EM providers querying perceptions of TS value, confidence with treating AIS, and counterfactuals regarding what EM providers would have done without TS. Eligible EM providers participated in an audio-visual TS consult within a 6-state TS network between 11/2016-11/2017.

We received 48 surveys (response rate 43%). The most common reason (71%) for using TS was tPA eligibility expert opinion. Most EM providers (94%) thought the patient/family were satisfied with TS and none felt their medical knowledge was doubted because of using TS. EM providers had high confidence in diagnosing AIS (95%) and tPA decision-making (86%), but not in determining thrombectomy eligibility (10%). Among EM providers who administered tPA, 85% said tPA would not have been given without TS consultation. TS consultation changed patient diagnosis in 60% of all patients and treatment plans in 56% of non-stroke patients. Most EM providers (86%) had increased confidence in their knowledge of future stroke patient management. Nearly all TS consults (93%) resulted in EM providers being more likely to use TS again.

TS consult frequently results in both patient management change and increased EM knowledge of stroke management with increased likelihood of repeat usage. Discomfort in determining eligibility for thrombectomy points to educational opportunities.