European Research in Telemedicine / La Recherche Européenne en Télémédecine
State of the artTelestroke: Long-term risk factor management – part II
Introduction
Stroke is an example of a largely preventable disease that presents acutely, with a short time window in which damage to the organ can be reduced. There is a high risk for residual disability which impacts significantly on society, the patients and their families [1]. Stroke recurrence can lead to a progressive decline into dependency, subsequently placing a significant financial burden on society. In 2008, the indirect and direct costs of stroke in the United States were calculated at $65.5 billion [2].
Eighty-seven percent of strokes are caused by cerebral infarction and are therefore amenable to a number of pre-stroke preventive strategies as well as thrombolytic therapy or intravascular clot retrieval strategies in the acute phase [3], [4], [5]. The second major subtype of stroke, i.e. intracerebral parenchymal hemorrhage, is largely preventable through pre-stroke blood pressure control [6].
In this article, we will primarily discuss the current data regarding prevention and limitation of acute brain damage resulting from cerebral infarction, but will also consider other expanding areas in stroke care where telemedicine has a potential role. This article will therefore examine the use of telestroke in stroke survivors after discharge from hospital, with particular emphasis on developed models of care and their applicability.
Section snippets
The prevalence of recurrent stroke
In stroke survivors, the overall risk of recurrent stroke (fatal or non-fatal) is high (approximately 20% at 5 years [7]). A recent study carried out in Perth, Australia, which aimed to determine the absolute frequency of first recurrent stroke and disability, as well as the relative frequency of recurrent stroke, concluded that over a 10-year follow-up period, the risk of first recurrent stroke is six times higher than the risk of first-ever stroke in the general population of the same age and
Background to telemedicine and telestroke
Telemedicine has been defined, simply, as the delivery of healthcare services to the underserved, employing telecommunication [27]. A more extensive definition is “the process by which electronic, visual and audio communications are used to provide diagnostic and consultation support to practitioners at distant sites, assist in or directly deliver medical care to patients at distant sites, and enhance the skills and knowledge of distant medical care providers” [17]. Telemedicine, as a distance
Future trends and recommendations
There is clearly an urgent need, particularly in rural and underserved areas, to develop long-term management systems in stroke survivors that are both integrated and sustainable, serving all sections of the population, and with particular emphasis on the sustained implementation of best practice risk factor management [14], [18], [24], [69], [70]. In these more remote areas of the world, the implementation of telemedicine may fill the gap in health care provision created by the high demand on
Disclosure of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning this article.
Acknowledgements
The RUN-FC network has been supported and funded by the French Health Ministry. The ICARUSS study is supported by funding from the HCF Health and Medical Research Foundation
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