Healthcare Review

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US, with
700,000 Americans having one each year. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US, with more than 1.1 million people impaired nationwide. Approximately 20 percent of all stroke victims die within the first 30 days, 50 to 70 percent recover functional independence and 20 percent require costly long-term nursing home care.
The key to a full recovery starts the moment a person
exhibits stroke symptoms. Patients who receive appropriate care
within three hours of onset dramatically increase their potential to regain normal functioning.
Too often, stroke victims do not receive prompt medical
attention and optimal treatment. Why? Many people do not know the early signs of stroke and do not immediately seek medical care. For those that seek medical assistance, too much time often lapses before they can be seen by a neuro-critical care specialist who can diagnose the nature of the stroke and administer the appropriate treatment.
According to a recent survey completed by the American College of Emergency Physicians, two-thirds of emergency room directors are reporting shortages of on-call specialists.
In light of these problems, the Massachusetts legislature
moved to put in place new guidelines for the treatment of stroke
patients. The Primary Stroke Service Initiative requires ambulances
to take stroke victims only to hospitals that give prompt care to
stroke patients, have brain-scanning equipment, and employ
round-the-clock doctors to interpret the scans.
According to Dr. Colin T. McDonald, MD, founder, CEO, and
chief medical officer of Brain Saving Technologies, “Massachusetts hospitals want to provide high-quality and prompt care to stroke victims. However, many community hospitals do not have physicians who are able to interpret CT scans and provide treatment recommendations 24 hours a day, as required by Massachusetts law. That’’s where digital video medicine can help.”
In fact, digital video medicine is ensuring emergency stroke
care is available to Massachusetts residents when it counts. Brain Saving Technologies (BST) has created a telemedicine network that enables rural hospitals to accept stoke patients by connecting them with neuro-critical care experts 24/7 using the latest in conferencing and collaboration technology. The first regional neuro-critical care center is based at UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, MA. Since August 2005, five Massachusetts community hospitals have joined the regional neuron-critical care network.
BST’’s Neuro-Critical Care Center links emergency-room doctors to neuro-critical care experts through the company’’s Neuro TeleMD workstation communication system. In providing visual communications, the advanced digital video medicine technology enables physicians to thoroughly evaluate, diagnose, and recommend treatment of stroke patients on a 24/7 basis, as well interact directly with the patient and/or their family in real-time.
TANDBERG’’s Intern Tele-HealthCare Solution provides
simultaneous audio-and-video transmission, and bidirectional
videoconferencing and image-display capabilities. In addition, as a smaller, more mobile system, it allows for ease-of-use within a medical facility. Vider