More than a decade ago, a new approach to treating an acute stroke was developed that involved administering tPA within 3-4 hours of the onset of an acute ischemic stroke. tPA dissolves a clot and restores circulation, resulting in a dramatic patient recovery. Where tPA was effective, most patients were able to resume their lives rather than being permanently disabled with paralysis and/or neurological loss. The issue with administering tPA is that not all strokes are caused by a blood clot; sometimes the strokes are caused by a hemorrhage into the brain. If tPA is given to these patients the stroke is made worse. The standard of care in most jurisdictions, is that a...

Posted in Telestroke

Tagged: telestroke, neurology, patient, protocol

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Telemedicine consults can provide superior care in one–on–one situations

Written by Rob Williams

on August 27, 2013

In my previous post on the ways OTN is linking the healthcare community in Ontario, I reviewed how the Northeast Cancer Centre (NCC) is using virtual care to improve both the patient and physician experience. Here are a few more examples of telemedicine in action: Neurotrauma follow-up: A patient in a remote community with post-injury epilepsy, cognitive impairments and mobility issues travelled alone every few months to Toronto for follow-up consultations with a neurologist. Anxiety related to travel and the disruption of the patient’s routine interfered with the progress and success of his recovery. When his follow-up appointments with...

Posted in Telemedicine

Tagged: patient, physician, neurology, mental health

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