Overview

In telestroke, also called stroke telemedicine, doctors who have advanced training in treating strokes can use technology to treat people who have had strokes in another location. These stroke experts work with the person's local emergency medicine doctors to recommend diagnosis and treatment that can be given in their own community.

Doctors and patients communicate using digital video cameras, internet telecommunications, robotic telepresence, smartphones, tablets and other technology.

Stroke telemedicine operates on a distant site-and-originating site system. A large urban medical center, generally certified as a primary or comprehensive stroke center, usually serves as the primary medical center (the distant site). Remote locations, often smaller regional hospitals, serve as the originating site.

In telestroke, many people work together as a team, including a program manager, a clinical coordinator, vascular neurologists, neurosurgeons and radiologists at the distant site, and emergency medicine doctors and other staff at the originating site. Radiology technicians, informational technology staff, researchers, nurses, nurse practitioners and other staff also are important members of the stroke telemedicine team.