Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) offers comprehensive telestroke and teleneurology programs to community hospitals. Telestroke services provide smaller hospitals access to vascular neurologists 24/7, to treat acute stroke and other emergency neurology conditions. Teleneurology services provide smaller hospitals access to neurohospitalists with a variety of different subspecialties, 24/7, to treat urgent and routine neurology conditions. This case study discusses the strategic goals of the services for the hospitals and the community. Moreover, it details the services, successes, outcomes and impacts.
Impact / Outcome
Between 2018 and 2020, the percentage of routine teleneurology patients who remained in the spoke hospital as a result of consultation ranged from 89% to 95%. For emergency teleneurology and telestroke patients, between 71% and 88% were able to be treated locally with consultation support over the same period. Costs are lower in community hospital settings, generating cost savings for patients and families.
Funding sources
Public/Private
Key Metrics
Provide smaller hospitals access to vascular neurologists 24 hours per day, seven days per week, to treat emergency neurology conditions
Operating model
Public-private partnershipYear published
01 January 2021 
American Medical Association (AMA)