Publications by authors named "Claudia Gorski"
Background: Telemedicine provides specialized medical expertise in underserved areas where neurological expertise is frequently not available on a daily basis for hospitalized stroke patients. While tele-consultations are well established in acute stroke assessment, the value of telemedicine-based ward-rounds in the subsequent in-patient stroke management is unknown.
Methods: Four telemedicine stroke networks in Germany, implemented in eight out of 16 federal states, participate in this prospective observational multi-center study.
Article Synopsis
- Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is effective for treating large vessel occlusion strokes but requires patient transfer to comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) when local hospitals lack the necessary expertise or capability.
- A study was conducted comparing patients transferred from rural telestroke centers (RTCs) to CSCs versus those from metropolitan primary stroke centers (MPSCs) concerning demographics, treatment times, and outcomes.
- Results indicated that while RTC patients were older and had more severe strokes, they experienced shorter wait times for specific procedures, with no significant differences in overall treatment outcomes between the two groups, despite longer transfer distances from rural areas.
Objectives: Telemedicine is frequently used to provide remote neurological expertise for acute stroke workup and was associated with better functional outcomes when combined with a stroke unit system-of-care. We investigated whether such system-of-care yields additional benefits when implemented on top of neurological competence already available onsite.
Methods: Quality improvement measures were implemented within a "hub-and-spoke" teleneurology network in 11 hospitals already provided with onsite or telestroke expertise.