Why rural America needs telehealth

Time is brain. This is a phrase physicians use when talking about a stroke. Because for every minute that passes, an estimated 14 billion synapses, the building blocks that are responsible for brain functions like learning, memory, and behavior, are lost. It means the longer it takes for a person to access care, the worse the outcome can be. In rural America, local hospitals are less likely to have specialists on staff. And because of that, stroke patients in rural areas are more likely to die than stroke patients in urban settings. But we have the technology to change these outcomes.

It's called Telstroke, a form of tellahalth that allows a stroke specialist from anywhere to dial in, assess a patient, read brain scans, and quickly prescribe life-saving drugs or recommend a transfer. Studies have found that it's effective at reducing mortality in rural stroke patients. The trouble is, tellahalth services like this are frequently underfunded, undervalued, and underutilized. But when tellah health is used correctly, proponents say it stands a chance at radically altering rural healthcare for the better. But how effective can virtual care really be and what's standing in its way?

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This is another video we're doing about how emergency help gets to remote places. Rural areas in the US often struggle to get the same services as more populated regions. And we wanted to explore what some of those challenges look like and what might be done to make things better. And thanks to our sponsor, T-Mobile for supporting this video.

T-Mobile is now the best mobile network in the US according to the UK Speed Test and continues to be committed

to supporting first responders and their families with exclusive savings. You can find out more at the link below.

T-Mobile didn't dictate the content of this video, but their support did make our reporting possible. Now, back to the video.