May 18, 2011
Medical staff at Ohio State University Medical Center on Thursday (5/19) will participate in a drill with doctors at Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center in Cambridge using innovative technology designed to provide faster and more efficient diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients in largely rural areas of Ohio.
A demonstration of the “Telestroke” telemedicine network will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at OSU Medical Center. Reporters are welcome to watch first-hand as medical staffs from the two hospitals work remotely as one team to treat a “patient” who arrives at the Cambridge hospital with symptoms of a stroke. Contact David Crawford, 614-293-3737, to obtain access to the demonstration site.
Ohio State is the hub for the stroke telemedicine network, which is funded by a $265,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Health.
When a suspected stroke patient arrives in the emergency department of one of the participating rural hospitals, a “stroke alert” is activated at both Ohio State and the receiving hospital, which mobilizes a team of stroke experts who, through the use of telemetry and real-time testing and patient interview, can help the rural hospital determine the best treatment option for the patient.
Ohio State’s stroke team, which includes critical care physicians and vascular neurosurgeons, is available around the clock.
The window of time for successfully treating stroke victims is short, usually less than three hours. Doctors feel the use of real-time technology will save more lives in rural areas of the state.
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David Crawford
Public Affairs and Media Relations
614-293-3737