Telestroke Tied to Higher Odds of Thrombolysis Treatment

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with acute ischemic stroke evaluated using telemedicine have higher odds of receiving thrombolysis treatment, but it takes them significantly longer to be treated, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in JAMA Network Open.Brian Stamm, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues evaluated the association between telestroke use and acute ischemic stroke treatment times and outcomes. The analysis included 3,036 adult patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting to 42 Paul Coverdell Michigan Stroke Registry hospitals from 2022 through 2023.The researchers found that 25.9 percent of patients were evaluated using telestroke and 55.1 percent were treated with thrombolysis. Patients evaluated by telestroke had significantly higher odds of receiving thrombolysis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.61) but longer door-to-needle times (DTN; 6.55 minutes longer) and lower odds of meeting a guideline-concordant DTN time within 60 minutes (aOR, 0.56) compared with those not evaluated by telestroke in fully adjusted models. For the 255 patients who underwent interhospital transfer, 81.2 percent received thrombolysis, and patients with telestroke had significantly longer door-in-door-out times (46.90 minutes longer)."We know that stroke transfer times are a major problem for the entire stroke care system, but our study highlights particular challenges for telestroke patients," senior author Deborah Levine, M.D., also from the University of Michigan, said in a statement.Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Telestroke Tied to Higher Odds of Thrombolysis Treatment

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