Guideline Adherence Following On-Site Versus Telestroke Consultation for Stroke Due to Intracranial Atherosclerosis

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ABSTRACT Background Telestroke evaluation and treatment programs are a promising option for geographically underserved populations. Adherence to guideline-based secondary prevention measures among telestroke programs remains understudied, particularly for patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate whether routine telestroke consultation provides guideline-concordant management comparable to on-site vascular neurology consultation. Methods This retrospective cohort review identified patients with stroke due to intracranial atherosclerosis within a single healthcare system comprising nine hospitals, including two comprehensive stroke centers with on-site stroke coverage and seven sites with remote telestroke coverage. Data was collected from January 2019 to December 2023. Adherence to guideline-based quality indicators was determined using four primary outcome measures including rates of permissive hypertension, high-intensity statin prescription at discharge, time to initiation of first antiplatelet medications, and appropriate antithrombotic therapy at discharge. Results A total of 132 patients were included in the final analysis (median age, 69 years; 65 female [49.2], 67 male [50.8%]), with 87 patients evaluated and managed on-site and 45 via telestroke. Guideline adherence was similar between groups for permissive hypertension and discharge antithrombotic therapy. Patients managed via telestroke were more likely to receive high-intensity statins at discharge (absolute difference 27.1% (95% CI 11.4, 42.8)) and received antiplatelet therapy earlier than patients managed on-site. Conclusion In this multisite, single-system cohort, routine telestroke consultation was associated with similar or greater adherence to selected guideline-based management measures compared with on-site vascular neurology consultation. KEY MESSAGES What is already known on this topic Telestroke networks provide stroke expertise to rural areas. What this study adds Routine telestroke consultation for stroke due to intracranial atherosclerosis was associated with similar or greater adherence to selected guideline-based management measures compared with on-site vascular neurology consultation. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy Expanding routine telestroke coverage may reduce geographic disparities in access to high-quality, guideline-concordant vascular neurology care.

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