swyMed and Life Image Team Up to Expand Telestroke Offering

Today, swyMed and Life Image, the world’s largest global network for sharing clinical and imaging data that is powered by industry leading interoperability standards, announced a strategic partnership to enhance telestroke capabilities. This collaboration will integrate relevant clinical and imaging data into the telemedicine encounter, thus improving physicians’ ability to collaborate and coordinate patient care. In addition, since Life Image already supports more than 140 stroke centers across the U.S., the partnership will strengthen swyMed’s ability to connect with these neurologists and primary stroke centers.

swyMed’s patented technology has led to its exceptional ability to maintain a dependable network connection even in the lowest bandwidth environments; this feature has proven highly beneficial in rural settings, where specialists and stroke centers are sparse. Life Image’s clinical information exchange is integrated into the workflows of 80 percent of all large health systems and academic medical systems in the U.S., providing access to all relevant medical records, diagnostic imaging, and other critical clinical data. Combining the two technologies creates the ability to instantly connect with a stroke specialist in order to assess and treat a stroke victim even before he/she arrives at the hospital.

If a stroke is detected early enough, the life-saving drug tPA can be administered. However, the window is small: only three hours from the onset of symptoms. After that, the odds of recovery fall substantially. Unfortunately, many regional and rural hospitals don’t keep a neurologist on call to make a timely diagnosis, and patients often can’t get to the hospital within those first three hours. Mobile telestroke backed by swyMed and Life Image is a game-changer; now, telestroke can immediately bring the doctor to the patient anywhere, in a virtual sense, for evaluation. With instant access to the patient’s images and medical data during the telestroke real-time video call, the specialist at the stroke center can make an informed decision on the best course of treatment or on which facility is best equipped for the patient’s particular situation.

To read more about this partnership, visit Life Image here.