Applications of Telestroke and Teleneurology: Jason Poon, MD

“From the standpoint of the patient, [telestroke] gives them access to a vascular neurologist in the scenario of stroke consult. But from a management standpoint, it has been shown to improve adherence to stroke protocols, utilization of IV tPA, and more appropriate and quicker referrals to higher centers that allow for mechanical thrombectomy.”

Data from a recent study suggest that telestroke consultations can accurately differentiate between acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and stroke mimics and have the potential to assess a wider variety of neurological syndromes.

These findings were presented virtually at the 2021 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, April 17-22, by Jason Poon, MD, neurologist, University of Utah. Poon and colleagues conducted a retrospective review of 476 telestroke cases and found a high diagnostic agreement for AIS (88%) with a kappa of 0.75 for stroke and mimics. Telestroke mimic diagnosis had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 85% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90%, while telestroke diagnosis of AIS had a PPV of 90% and an NPV of 85%.

NeurologyLive spoke with Poon to learn more about the importance of telestroke for patients and medical centers alike. He also spoke about the broader potential of teleneurology to diagnose a variety of neurological syndromes.

For more coverage of AAN 2021, click here.

REFERENCE

Poon JT, Hoversten K, Tkach A, et al. Telestroke consultation can accurately diagnose ischemic stroke mimics. Presented at 2021 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting; April 17-22. Abstract P5 164