{"id":31013,"date":"2020-11-05T15:14:34","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T15:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.mtelehealth.com\/?p=31013"},"modified":"2020-11-05T15:14:34","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T15:14:34","slug":"how-telehealth-can-help-stroke-patients-in-rural-hospitals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drmiltie.com\/at-home-testing\/how-telehealth-can-help-stroke-patients-in-rural-hospitals\/","title":{"rendered":"How Telehealth Can Help Stroke Patients in Rural Hospitals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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A new study from the University of Georgia has investigated the reasons why stroke<\/a> patients treated in rural hospitals have more negative outcomes and a higher risk of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using data from the 2016 National Inpatient Sample, the study specifically looked at stroke patients who sought treatment in rural hospitals. The researchers identified several factors they believe contributed to the patients’ poor outcomes, including the \u201cweekend effect<\/a>\u201d and lack of resources. They also found that patients who had had a hemorrhagic stroke<\/a> had particularly poor outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings highlighted the need for telemedicine and “telestroke” programs, which is one way to narrow resource and stroke specialist care gaps in rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rural Hospitals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rural health facilities are often understaffed and not equipped to handle certain acute emergencies. This is especially true on weekends when the quality of care<\/a> often decreases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To combat the gaps in care and quality, some facilities are joining telehealthcare networks that allow specialists to access a patient virtually at the bedside via video, review scans in real-time, collaborate with emergency room staff, and recommend a treatment plan. In some cases, that could mean arranging for a life-flight helicopter to transport a patient to a certified hospital with an experienced critical care team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDisparity is increased in rural areas.\u201d Christina Mijalski Sells, MD, MPH<\/a>, Stanford telestroke program medical director, tells Verywell. \u201c[Patients in these areas] may have more baseline risks because of socioeconomic status and a decrease in resources. Telestroke can help reduce those risks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Stroke?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow and oxygen to the brain are blocked by a clot or a ruptured blood vessel. If not quickly recognized and treated<\/a>, strokes can lead to permanent damage\u2014if not death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Stroke Association (ASA) lists stroke as the number five cause of death in the United States, but says that 80% of strokes are preventable.2<\/sup> If a stroke is immediately diagnosed and treated, a person’s odds of surviving and recovering are better than if these interventions are delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two types of strokes. The classification depends on the cause of the blockage. The most common types of strokes are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n