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.