Polycom Brings its 'Telestroke' Solution to NHS Surrey, Saving Lives

Polycom Inc, a provider of standards-based unified communications, today reported that the Telestroke Network Project at NHS (National Health Service) Surrey, a service to bring immediate remote care to those suffering a stroke, is already helping to save the lives of stroke victims by “using its high-definition video collaboration solutions to bring remote patients together face-to-face with medical professionals for vital early intervention,” according to a company press release.

The project was set up across five different trusts in September 2011.

Polycom also announced last week that it is helping the UK-based NHS Cumbria & Lancashire Cardiac and Stroke Network (CSNLC) to provide “telestroke” service to help connect remote patients with doctors in the “golden hour,” the most critical point of intervention for survival.

Approximately 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke every year, and 53,000 will die, according to the Stroke Association.

With a stroke, there’s only so much time before the patient suffers catastrophic damage. The new telemedicine system allows the hospitals’ stroke teams to get fast access to stroke consultant experts at any time of the day or night – even when the consultant isn’t on-site, according to the press release.  “Getting specialist clinical advice quickly is essential so that on-site physicians can make treatment decisions quickly,” the press release notes.

“There is only a very limited window between seeing the onset of symptoms and being able to administer thrombolysis (clot-busting drug), so the time saved due to the newly installed telestroke system means that vital time is saved and increases significantly the potential of patients making a full recovery and going on to lead a normal life much more rapidly. It can even mean the difference between life and death, and we are already seeing positive results from the system,” said Colin Lee, senior project manager, NHS Surrey, in the press release.

“Rather than waste valuable time waiting for a consultant to get to a patient, now a patient can have a CT scan, be seen by triage, assessed by a stroke consultant, and have a recommendation in under an hour through Polycom HD video solutions – all while the consultant is at his or her home,” Lee added in the press release.

The Polycom video collaboration solution is supported by the Surrey Stroke and Heart Network and funded for £250,000 (US$390,000) by the NHS South of England, according to the press release. The solution makes “it possible for patients to get round-the-clock specialist, consultant-led care with faster treatment times and improved outcomes for patients,” according to the press release.

To find out more about POLYCOM, visit the company at ITEXPO East 2012. To be held Jan. 31- Feb. 3 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla.  ITEXPO is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit POLYCOM in booth # 806A. For more information on ITEXPO registration click here.