Telemedicine for Stroke Care and Rehabilitation
Telemedicine for stroke care
Telestroke is a form of telemedicine. One of the forefronts of telemedicine is stroke telemedicine or telestroke. Telestroke involves remote diagnosis, treatment, and post-stroke care through the use of telemedicine technology.
Related: How Teleneurology Works for Rural Hospitals
Telestroke, using remote technology, connects a stroke patient with a stroke specialist (teleneurologist) via a video call. Unlike a traditional call, telestroke technology allows the two parties to communicate via a video call and presents the specialist with all of the patient’s relevant information. If the patient is in the emergency room, the emergency department can aid the specialist in conducting tests on the patient and even administering potential stroke treatment. All of this can be done even if the specialist is thousands of miles away in a different country.
Stroke diagnosis
Patients who are suspected of having a stroke only have a limited time to get treated without sustaining significant brain damage. This is why getting diagnosed quickly is very integral to the treatment process.
It’s also important to note that doctors who do not specialize in strokes are not able to diagnose these patients, as stroke symptoms can mimic a host of other illnesses’ symptoms. Thus, having a specialist available is very important.
Specialists, however, are not always available. This is where telestroke becomes incredibly significant. Telestroke makes it possible for patients to contact specialists in a matter of minutes. Specialists using telestroke can even start examining the patient in an ambulance during transport. Specialists can then quickly diagnose the patient so that the emergency room can administer the recommended treatment almost instantaneously.
Stroke Care
Once a patient is diagnosed, the specialist will recommend a treatment. This treatment will typically be a medication that tries to dissolve the blood clot in the patient’s brain. It is possible that the first treatment does not work. Thus, the ability to quickly summon a specialist over telestroke technology is very important, as the specialist can promptly suggest a new course of action for the patient. The fast nature of telestroke can save the patient’s life in these dangerous circumstances.
Even if there are no immediate problems, specialists should be monitoring the patient as they are being treated. This is essential, as small changes in vitals can suggest that the individual is or is not responding to the treatment well.
Related: Reimbursement Process For TeleStroke
Telestroke reduces the need for patients to be transferred to stroke care facilities. Without telestroke, patients in emergency departments that do not have on-call stroke specialists would have no choice but to make their way to a distant care stroke facility. However, with telestroke, patients can ride out their entire stroke treatment in distant hospitals, assuming the hospital has an ICU and imaging services, as they can contact a specialist through telestroke in minutes.
However, it should be noted that patients who have suffered severe strokes can only be managed through telestroke for a limited time and need to be transferred to a dedicated stroke facility for further treatment. Patients in hospitals without imaging services must also be transported to a stroke facility.
Post-Stroke Care
Once a patient has been treated for a stroke and the immediate cause has been nullified, post-stroke care must ensue. A person who survives a stroke needs ongoing treatment and care following their initial hospitalization. This care can be focused on the after-effects of the clot-busting medication or on treating the underlying conditions of the stroke, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and drug use. This will likely include rehabilitation as well, such as physical therapy, psychotherapy, and speech therapy.
Telenruologists, telephysicians, and teletherapists can help the patient in all these situations. If the patient has a caregiver who can assist them through remote checkups and therapy sessions, they can receive care identical to that of a clinic.
Sourcing Reliable Telestroke Equipment
By opting for the latest telestroke technology from Neurox, you can equip your healthcare center with state-of-the-art smart technologies that can make specialists available to you in a matter of minutes.
By getting the Smart Telemedicine Cart which is equipped with HD cameras and other tools, your patients will get the best care modern healthcare can provide.
NeuroX focuses on booking appointments with board certified neurologists. To schedule an appointment with a physician, visit NeuroX. A virtual appointment can be scheduled within 48 hours after you choose a physician. You can receive professional medical care without visiting a clinic or hospital with a few clicks.