Telemedicine is improving outcomes for patients with stroke

Technology is revolutionising medicine, and telemedicine is having a measurable impact on stroke care

Technology is revolutionising medicine, and telemedicine for patients with stroke (telestroke) is now having a measurable impact on outcomes. Acute stroke care is challenging for many reasons: stroke mimics are common (about 30% of all cases initially suspected to be stroke);1 patients with intracerebral haemorrhage and ischaemic stroke can present with identical syndromes, making brain imaging essential for diagnosis; treatments must be initiated without delay, and some require transfer for tertiary intervention (eg, endovascular thrombectomy). The lack of specialist stroke physicians in regional Australia and underinvestment in stroke care results in poor access for many Australians. Unwarranted clinical variation is unacceptable, so why do some regions of Australia, even today, have no access to specialist stroke care? The answers are complex, but some are clear (too few specialists in regional areas), while some are more difficult to understand (health providers declining offers of help).