This Research Topic is led by Thierry Moulin, Bart Demaerschalk, and Thanh Phan and is part of the Telemedicine in Neurology series:
Volume 1 – In Neuro-Otology, Neuro-Ophthalmology, and Movement Disorders Patient Care and Treatment (Topic Editors: Amir Kheradmand, Susanne Schneider, Mario Manto, Aasef Shaikh)
Volume 2 – In Dementia Patient Care and Treatment (Topic Editors: Silvan Licher, Frank Wolters, Blossom Stephan)
Telemedicine in neurology has been a subject of debate and, until recently, was largely restricted to certain subspecialties and clinical scenarios. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has driven clinicians to rapidly adopt virtual medicine for remote diagnosis and treatment of conditions previously managed in person. This sudden expansion of virtual medicine has ignited enthusiasm for broadening the traditional model of in-person patient consultations, and has created an unprecedented opportunity for developing innovative solutions to improve patient care. In this new era, there is a need for further research to validate and standardize novel approaches for neurological evaluation of patients within the current regulatory frameworks.
In today’s technology-driven climate, telemedicine is being used for an increasing number of applications, not least in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke. Stroke could even be considered an ideal candidate for these applications because the related symptoms can be reliably evaluated using videoconferencing. Additionally, there is generally a shortage of stroke specialists, particularly in rural areas, and telestroke responds to this need. Since the first telestroke nearly 20 years ago, telestroke networks have been implemented around the world, and the value of its applications has been reflected in changes to the ESO and AHA stroke guidelines. The wide scope of these applications is attested to by its development in a large range of different contexts according to the country and situation.
The aim of this current Research Topic would be to provide a snapshot of the current situation around the world with regard to telestroke, creating a platform for the original pioneer networks to provide an update on their projects, and for establishments that have since set up a telestroke network to share their experiences. The topic would equally present an opportunity to review updates to the field, such as the introduction of mechanical thrombectomy as a treatment, the development of mobile stroke units, and post-stroke follow-up using telemedicine. Additionally, there would be the potential to consider how telestroke responds to wider issues such as the aging population in western countries, low income countries, and climate change.
The primary areas of interest for the Research Topic would be as follows;
• Updates from establishments that pioneered the implementation of telestroke networks on the progress of these networks and their impact on patient routine care.
• Original Articles outlining the experiences of setting up new telestroke networks in a range of countries/regions. It would also be of interest to consider different models for telestroke networks.
• Reviews detailing the current state of the art for telestroke and the latest developments, in particular the integration of new technologies or new applications of existing technologies, such as mobile stroke units and innovations in post-stroke follow-up.
• Articles discussing the implementation of the new ESO/AHA telestroke guidelines.
• Articles considering the impact of telestroke on wider issues such as aging populations and climate change. The environmental impact of telestroke networks may include the reduction of carbon emission with teleconsultation in the hub-and-spoke model, to identify stroke mimics, and for performing post-stroke follow-up.
• Articles considering the use of telestroke in secondary prevention, chronic management, and rehabilitation.