Iowa's first 'stroke robot' connects patients in Clinton with doctors in Iowa City

Gerri Nichols was able to walk out of the hospital just one week after suffering a stroke.

The 69-year-old Clinton woman attributes her recovery to timely diagnosis and treatment, including use of a new “stroke robot,” the first of its kind in Iowa.

That robotic telehealth technology could someday help prevent disabilities and lower health care costs for the 3,000 Iowans who suffer strokes annually.

Every year, about 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke, the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. Patients who survive can face paralysis and long-term care needs, with annual medical costs estimated at $73.7 billion nationwide.

Neurologists at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics examine and diagnose patients at Mercy Medical Center in Clinton by using the wireless robot's sophisticated monitors, cameras and microphones.

“We can see and assess the patient live and interact in real time,” Dr. Harold Adams, director of the UI Stroke Center, said Tuesday, June 12, during a demonstration of the technology.

UI Hospitals' neurologists had previously only been able to consult over the phone with doctors at other hospitals.

The robot can zoom in close enough to the patient so neurologists who specialize in stroke can evaluate the patient's eye movement and other physical clues to make an accurate diagnosis in consultation with emergency doctors in Clinton.

Adams noted that time is critical in treating a stroke.

The clot-busting drug, tissue plasminogen activator or tPA, can prevent disability after a stroke, but must be given within a short window from the time symptoms first appear, ideally within an hour.

“Iowa is the ideal place for this,” Adams said, citing the UI's expert neurologists who can collaborate with community hospitals in rural settings.

He estimated that 20 to 30 Iowa hospitals could use the stroke robot, initially targeted to mid-sized cities, such as Clinton, with a population of nearly 27,000.

Larger cities, such as Cedar Rapids, have their own neurologists. For example, St. Luke's Hospital, a Primary Stroke Center designated by the Joint Commission, works with neurologists at Physicians' Clinic of Iowa.

The stroke robot, by InTouch Health, is being rented because of the high cost – Adams wasn't sure how much that was – and to stay current with the technology as it evolves.

“It's not cheap,” he said.

The stroke robot was used for 12 patients in the month since it started being used in Clinton in mid-May.

Adams said the goal by the end of the year is for several more Eastern Iowa hospitals to use the system, which could be expanded to other emergencies, such as heart failure.

Doctors said Nichols could not use intravenous tPA for the type of stroke she had, so she was flown to Iowa City for emergency surgery.

“This doctor in Iowa City was virtually right here in Clinton in the emergency room,” her husband, Highland Nichols said. “We got the best technology on the planet and we got some of the best care with the best doctors.”

FYI:

Strokes happen when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts.

Symptoms usually occur suddenly.

Warning signs include slurred speech; sudden numbness or weakness in the arm, leg or face, especially on only one side of the body; sudden loss of vision; sudden balance difficulties and a sudden, severe headache that differs from past headaches.