Telestroke centers as an option for addressing geographical disparities in access to stroke care in South Carolina, 2013

Abstract

Telestroke centers can increase access to proper and timely diagnosis and treatment of stroke, especially for rural populations, thereby reducing disability and death. Census tract information was used to map primary stroke centers geographically and to identify areas that would benefit from additional access to medical care via telestroke centers (health care facilities that provide information on stroke care from a distance). Results indicate that in 2013, approximately half of the South Carolina population did not have access to a primary stroke center within a 30-minute drive of their home, and 30% did not have access within 60 minutes. Increasing access to prompt evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke and improving long-term quality of life requires the addition of telestroke centers in areas without primary stroke centers and examination of the effects of these centers on stroke incidence and mortality in South Carolina.