Patient Perceptions of Remotely Delivered Acute Stroke Care

Lyerly MJ, Martin H, Plue LD, Anderson JA, Damush TM, Graham G, Martini S, Williams LS. Patient Perceptions of Remotely Delivered Acute Stroke Care. [Abstract]. Stroke. 2019 Feb 1; 50(Suppl 1):TMP63.

Introduction: Telestroke has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective means to expand access to care and improve outcomes in stroke. However, information on patient perceptions of this system of care delivery are limited. This study seeks to examine patient feedback of a national telestroke system within the Veterans Health Administration. Methods: All Veterans receiving a telestroke consultation with a video component were considered for telephone interview 2 weeks post-consult. Those who died within 30 days, who were placed on palliative care/hospice, or who were still hospitalized 30 days after the consult were excluded. If the Veteran could not recall the teleconsult, another person present who could recall it could complete a proxy interview. The interview included 18 standardized questions about technical quality, experience with the telestroke provider, telepresence (the extent to which the consult felt like a face-to-face visit), and overall satisfaction. Open-ended responses were also recorded. Results: Over a 9-month period, 174 telestroke consults were completed. Of these, we obtained patient responses from 72 (41%) veterans (56 had a final diagnosis of stroke). Twenty-one responses were completed by a proxy. Veterans reported high levels of satisfaction with technical quality (Figure 1A). While patients felt comfortable with interacting with the telestroke provider, we did identify opportunities for improvement with patient involvement in decision making and communication of treatment recommendations (Figure 1B). Overall, veterans indicated high levels of satisfaction with the telestroke providers and service platform (Figure 1C). Importantly, 91% of respondents indicated that this service allowed them to receive the care that they needed. Conclusions: Overall, Veterans report high levels of satisfaction with the technology, expertise, professionalism, and service with a telestroke platform.