Rural Health and Atypical Stroke: Technology-Based Posterior Circulation Stroke Diagnosis.

Diagnostic errors cause an estimated 900,000 deaths and disabilities annually in the United States, and stroke is the leading cause of diagnostic error-related harm in US emergency departments. Posterior circulation strokes (PCS's) are frequently misdiagnosed due to atypical presentations such as dizziness. Key contributors to rural-urban care gaps in PCS diagnosis are highlighted for rural care (eg, challenges in bedside diagnosis and limited access to neurologists). Emerging technologies (eg, telestroke, video-oculography-based teledizzy programs, mobile stroke units, and smartphone tools) can improve diagnostic access, timeliness and accuracy for patients living in rural communities.