Research on telestroke (telemedicine) shows improved access and clinical care in Oregon

If you're a neurologist, you're probably in San Diego at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting. Last Friday, researchers at UPenn revealed how telemedicine programs in Oregon are pushing stroke coverage into previously uncovered, less populated areas and expanding coverage by approximately 40 percent. The study shows that, by employing telemedical systems in concert with in-person care, nearly 80 percent of residents had access to expert stroke care within one hour.

The study evaluated all hospitals in Oregon, finding that 43 percent of the population could reach a stroke center in person within 60 minutes, 76 percent had telemedical access, 40 percent had access to both, and 20 percent had no access to stroke care within an hour.

You can read the full press release here.

Speaking of telemedicine - make sure you don't miss the early bird registration deadline for the upcoming ATA (American Telemedicine Association) conference in May. Registration fees go up on April 1. You won't want to miss ATA given that there is so much happening in telemedicine right now!