Factors influencing the successful implementation of a novel digital health application to streamline multidisciplinary communication across multiple organisations for emergency care.

Rationale: Delivering optimal patient health care requires interdisciplinary clinician communication. A single communication tool across multiple pre-hospital and hospital settings, and between hospital departments is a novel solution to current systems. Fit-for-purpose, secure smartphone applications allow clinical information to be shared quickly between health providers.

Real-world, feasibility study to investigate the use of a multidisciplinary app (Pulsara) to improve prehospital communication and timelines for acute stroke/STEMI care.

Objectives: To determine if a digital communication app improves care timelines for patients with suspected acute stroke/ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Design: Real-world feasibility study, quasi-experimental design.

Setting: Prehospital (25 Ambulance Victoria branches) and within-hospital (2 hospitals) in regional Victoria, Australia.

Global Impact of COVID-19 on Stroke Care and IV Thrombolysis.

Objective: To measure the global impact of COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of IV thrombolysis (IVT), IVT transfers, and stroke hospitalizations over 4 months at the height of the pandemic (March 1 to June 30, 2020) compared with 2 control 4-month periods.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational, retrospective study across 6 continents, 70 countries, and 457 stroke centers. Diagnoses were identified by their ICD-10 codes or classifications in stroke databases.

Diabetes in ischaemic stroke in a regional Australian hospital: uncharted territory.

Background: Stroke and diabetes mellitus (DM) are significant interrelated healthcare issues but there is a dearth of data on the prevalence of DM among Australia's regional stroke population.

Aims: We aimed to determine the prevalence of DM in stroke patients at a large regional centre, including subanalyses on stroke subtypes, glycaemic control and renal function in ischaemic stroke (IS).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients (n = 323) with IS or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) admitted to Ballarat Base Hospital from January 2015 to December 2016.

Improving acute stroke care in regional hospitals: clinical evaluation of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine program.

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) program during its first 12 months on the quality of care provided to patients presenting with suspected stroke to hospitals in regional Victoria.

Design: Historical controlled cohort study comparing outcomes during a 12-month control period with those for the initial 12 months of full implementation of the VST program at each hospital.

Setting: 16 hospitals in regional Victoria that participated in the VST program between 1 January 2010 and 30 January 2016.

Nurses' Role in Implementing and Sustaining Acute Telemedicine: A Mixed-Methods, Pre-Post Design Using an Extended Technology Acceptance Model.

Purpose: Technology-based systems like telemedicine are frequently being implemented into healthcare settings, impacting clinician practices. Little is known about factors influencing acute telemedicine uptake, if factors differ across time, or between nurses and non-nurses.

Design: A mixed-methods, pre-post design with implementation of a new acute stroke telemedicine service.

Prevalence and risk factors of ischaemic stroke in the young: a regional Australian perspective.

Background: There is no universally accepted age cut-off for defining young strokes.

Aims: We aimed to determine, based on the profile of young stroke patients in our regional centre, an appropriate age cut-off for young strokes.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all ischaemic stroke patients admitted to our centre from 2015 to 2017.