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Telemedicine-Enabled Ambulances for Prehospital Acute Stroke Management: A Pilot Study
Ehab Harahsheh1, Stephen W English2, Bart M Demaerschalk1,3
1Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Phoenix, AZ.
Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Digital Health
|April 10, 2025
Summary
Telemedicine-enabled ambulances show promise for prehospital stroke evaluation, demonstrating feasibility and potential scalability. Further infrastructure and connectivity improvements are needed for wider adoption.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Neurology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Prehospital stroke evaluation is critical for timely treatment.
- Traditional emergency medical services (EMS) systems face challenges in rapid stroke assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility and scalability of telemedicine-enabled ambulances for prehospital stroke evaluation.
- To identify potential challenges and areas for optimization.
Main Methods:
- Pilot study conducted at two tertiary academic stroke centers.
- Reviewed charts of 47 patients evaluated via telemedicine-enabled ambulances.
- Collected data on demographics, diagnoses, treatment times, and technical challenges.
Main Results:
- 35 of 47 patients were hospital transfers; 29 diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke.
- Mean time to neuroimaging was 11.8 minutes.
- Technical challenges, primarily poor internet connectivity, occurred in 36% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Telemedicine-enabled ambulances are a feasible and potentially scalable prehospital stroke evaluation tool.
- Optimization of infrastructure, staffing, and internet connectivity is required.
- Larger studies are needed to evaluate clinical and cost-effectiveness.
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