Mayo Clinic telemedicine stroke study

Donna Cusano

The Mayo Clinic in Arizona, in conjunction with University of California San Diego, recently reported results of a five-year study connecting their respective stroke centers to six rural hospitals.  Telemedicine video/audio consults, versus audio only consults, improved correct emergency-stroke decision making by 13 points (96% versus 83%).  It also improved usage of clot-busting medications in these rural hospitals to 29% versus previously administered 5%. (Currently, only 55% of Americans have within one hour access to primary stroke centers.) Mayo Clinic Arizona release