Efficacy of site-independent telemedicine in the STRokE DOC trial: a randomised, blinded, prospective study

Background To increase the effective use of thrombolytics for acute stroke, the expertise of vascular neurologists must be disseminated more widely. We prospectively assessed whether telemedicine (real-time, two-way audio and video, and digital imaging and communications in medicine [DICOM] interpretation) or telephone was superior for decision making in acute telemedicine consultations. Methods From January, 2004, to August, 2007, patients...