More than €250,000 will be put into the telehealth project "TeleSchwindelTriage" from Bavaria over the next two and a half years, Bavaria's health minister Melanie Huml announced in Munich at the beginning of May, to help detect strokes early on.

The telemedicine network in Bavaria is supported and promoted by the health ministry and the German Foundation for Neurology. It is being carried out under the direction of the Harlaching Hospital in cooperation with 19 partner clinics of the Telemedical Stroke Network Southeast Bavaria (TEMPiS), several vertigo centres and the University Hospital Regensburg.

HOW IT WORKS

Dizziness is often the first symptom of an impending stroke. The specialised centres are able to assess the symptoms of dizziness via telemedicine, identify the causes, and diagnose and care for a possible stroke risk at an early stage. 

Teleconsultants in the Bavarian network centres control the course of examinations and the technical settings of the vertigo glasses used remotely. 

ON THE RECORD

"The number of stroke patients in Bavaria has risen steadily in recent years," the minister said. Investing in prevention through the work of the network is important in order to avoid consequential damage that can occur after strokes, such as heart attacks, speech loss or paralysis.

"Dizziness occurs in a variety of diseases, the diagnosis is often possible only in specialised centres. Thanks to the telemedicine network we can offer a faster diagnosis and better care in rural Southeastern Bavaria," the minister added.

Additionally, TEMPiS aims to ensure quality assurance through the creation of a registry as part of the project in order to gain better insights into patients with acute vertigo.

Anna Engberg is a Wiesbaden-based freelance journalist specialising in health and technology.