The Evolution and Environmental Benefits of the All Wales Stroke Meeting (AWSM), a Video Conference Multidisciplinary Meeting for Stroke Physicians

Abstract

Background: The All Wales Stroke Meeting (AWSM) is a multidisciplinary stroke meeting. Stroke clinicians can present cases to review the neuroradiology and discuss the clinical story to further clinical care, seek consensus views on the management in specific rare or complex cases or provide an educational opportunity for the group centred around a rare case or specific feature of the case. Methods: The meeting was created to pool the knowledge of clinicians working across Wales to benefit patient care throughout the country. Here we describe the development, structure and personnel involved in the meeting. There is a focus on the technological requirements of the meeting and how utilising newly introduced IT solutions further improved the meeting’s accessibility. Results: There is a positive economic and environmental impact of delivering multidisciplinary meetings through videoconference technology. The AWSM is estimated to annually save 97.16 days of clinician time and £13,087.18 in travel expenses. We estimate a reduction of carbon footprint of 15,792.38–19,722.44 kg CO2. Conclusion: The AWSM has been an invaluable component of stroke healthcare in Wales since 2009. We think this is an example of where collaborative working and innovative use of technologies can benefit clinicians, patients, NHS services and the environment. Keywords: Stroke, Stroke evaluation, Video conference, Neuroradiology, Continued professional development, Education, Multidisciplinary meeting