Telemedicine‐guided remote enrollment of patients into an acute stroke trial. (17th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Tzu‐Ching; Sarraj, Amrou; Jacobs, Amber; Shen, Loren; Indupuru, Hari; Biscamp, Donna; Ho, Victor; Ankrom, Christy; Grotta, James C.; Savitz, Sean I.; Barreto, Andrew D.
• Is Part Of: Annals of clinical and translational neurology. Volume 2:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 38
• Page End: 42
• Publication Date: 2014-12-17
• Subjects: Nervous system -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 616.8005
• DOI: 10.1002/acn3.150
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2328-9503

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="acn3150-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="acn3150-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background and Purpose</title> <p>Enrollment into acute stroke clinical trials is limited to experienced tertiary centers with emergency research infrastructure. Feasibility of remote enrollment via telemedicine into an acute thrombolytic clinical trial has never been demonstrated.</p> </sec> <sec id="acn3150-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Using telemedicine, our hub stroke research center partnered with two spoke community hospitals to jointly participate in a randomized, phase III adjunctive thrombolysis clinical trial in the first 3 h after symptom onset to expand recruitment of the trial. Eligible patients were successfully identified, consented, randomized, and received therapy/placebo at the spoke hospitals under real‐time direction by hub trialists via telemedicine.</p> </sec> <sec id="acn3150-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Ten patients were identified from May 2013 to July 2014, and six were enrolled via telemedicine. No study procedure delays, safety events, or major protocol violations occurred.</p> </sec> <sec id="acn3150-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>It is feasible to randomize and enroll stroke patients via remote telemedicine into an acute thrombolytic clinical trial. This novel approach could expand access and accelerate completion of clinical trials if widely implemented.</p> </sec> </abstract>