When a stroke occurs, getting fast, quality care gives you a better chance at recovery.
According to the American Stroke Association, nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke goes untreated. Rapid access to medical treatment often improves recovery and limits permanent disability.
The virtual care stroke, or telestroke, program now connects experienced, board-certified neurologists on the medical staff at Texas Health Fort Worth to patients in outlying and rural areas — including Azle, Stephenville, Cleburne and Southwest Fort Worth. Rapid consultation with a neurologist becomes a reality and offers:
- Faster diagnosis
- Immediate medication recommendations
- More definitive care with improved outcomes.
Advanced technology enables remote examination and diagnosis using specialized software with high-definition cameras and monitors. The virtual care, telestroke program combines care from the physicians on the medical staff and experienced nurses in the patient’s home Texas Health hospital with virtual, direct access to board-certified stroke neurologists on staff at Texas Health Fort Worth.
This virtual care, telestroke program increases access for patients with acute stroke, offering timely remote neurological assessment, neuroimaging evaluation and therapeutic decision-making. Physicians remotely conduct comprehensive assessments in real-time via a sophisticated monitor with high-definition cameras. Theses cameras enable doctors to zoom in on stroke patients from afar with precise clarity.
So patients receive an interactive examination without being transferred to another hospital and get advanced care quickly and conveniently.
Both the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association recommend the use of telemedicine in providing an opinion on the use of medication in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
If you think you are having a stroke, call 911 immediately.