Franciscan St. Francis
Health uses TeleStroke as a rapid response resource
INDIANAPOLIS – When
a stroke occurs, time is critical in making an accurate diagnosis and rapid
treatment plan. And for good reason: Brain cells deteriorate quickly, leaving a
patient with permanent brain damage.
Franciscan St.
Francis Health now has a new weapon in its arsenal to combat the effects of stroke.
It’s InTouch® Telestroke, and it
enables the hospital’s neuroscientists to offer immediate and around-the-clock
consultations when patients present with stroke conditions.
“TeleStroke extends
our hospital’s services to outlying hospitals to serve the unmet needs of
surrounding communities,” said David A. Glander, MD, a neurologist who
practices at Franciscan St. Francis Health and is a member of JWM Neurology. “It
also improves access to specialists and the treatment of stroke patients, all
leading to improved outcomes and reducing the incidence of long-term
disability.”
TeleStroke is a
mobile communications platform that enables a stroke patient and emergency room
staff to consult with a neurologist via the robot’s video monitor. It uses live
Web video streaming to allow the neurologist to remotely review the patient’s information
and examine and talk with the patient, family members and clinicians to
determine a treatment plan at the patient’s bedside.
Using a laptop or
tablet such as an iPad, the neurologist can adjust the robot’s camera and check
a patient’s pupils and listen to their heart and lungs through a stethoscope
mounted on the robot.
The neurologist and the on-site team both
can access and update the patient’s electronic medical record. After the
diagnosis is made, the neurologist makes a recommendation, and the emergency
room doctor and team can begin treatment.
In a recent
demonstration, Franciscan St. Francis Health recently unveiled its TeleStroke
program and connection between its Indianapolis and Mooresville hospitals, the
latter of which is an outlying facility in Morgan County.
“This technology
enables me and my colleagues to concentrate on our patients without delay,” Dr.
Glander said. “We also plan to look at ways we can share our program and
TeleStroke capabilities in partnership with hospitals in need of such
services.”
Franciscan St.
Francis Health’s neurology teams recently received the Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Silver-Plus Quality
Achievement Award for implementing specific quality improvement measures
outlined by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for the
treatment of stroke patients.
