Stroke telemedicine (telestroke)

Overview

Stroke telemedicine consultation

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Stroke Telemedicine Network at Mayo Clinic in Arizona

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In stroke telemedicine, also called telestroke, doctors who have advanced training in the nervous system (neurologists) remotely evaluate people who've had acute strokes and make diagnoses and treatment recommendations to emergency medicine doctors at other sites. Doctors communicate using digital video cameras, Internet telecommunications, robotic telepresence, smartphones and other technology.

Having a prompt neurological evaluation increases the possibility that you may receive clot-dissolving therapies (thrombolytics) or other clot-retrieving procedures in time to reduce disability and death resulting from stroke.

Learn more about stroke telemedicine at Mayo Clinic.

Read more about stroke.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for stroke telemedicine

• Expertise and experience. Mayo Clinic neurologists have expertise and experience in evaluating and treating people who've had a stroke or have other brain and blood vessel conditions (cerebrovascular conditions). Mayo Clinic's campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, and at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wis., are certified as primary stroke centers by The Joint Commission, a national organization that evaluates and accredits health care providers.
• Team approach. At a central site, a dedicated staff of neurologists trained in blood vessel conditions (vascular neurologists), brain surgery (neurosurgeons), brain imaging (neuroradiologists) and stroke telemedicine work as a team with emergency medicine doctors and staff at remote sites.
• Individualized care. Mayo Clinic stroke telemedicine staff gives you individualized care and serves you in your community.
• Technology. Vascular neurologists at Mayo Clinic use several advanced technologies in stroke telemedicine, depending on the remote site's location and available resources.
• Network growth. Doctors at Mayo Clinic in Arizona began participating in stroke telemedicine as a trial in 2007, and the stroke telemedicine network has grown since then to 11 remote sites. Staff at Mayo Clinic in Florida launched a stroke telemedicine network in 2010, and staff at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota is developing a stroke telemedicine network.
• Research. Doctors actively study stroke and stroke telemedicine, including new technologies and other areas.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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