Previous reports indicate that the precision of emergency service centre operators in identifying a stroke is limited.
The study of the possibility of increasing the accuracy in stroke diagnosis at the emergency medical dispatch centre tests two hypotheses:
1) Computer support can sharpen the accuracy of the emergency medical dispatcher in cases of suspected stroke.
2) The outcome of stroke is associated with the emergency medical dispatcher´s ' assessment.
During the four months from 14 December 2010 to 14 April 2011, a survey was done of all the cases in the Region of Västra Götaland in which there was a suspicion of stroke.
The emergency medical dispatcher´s assessment in cases where there is reason to suspect a stroke may be of great importance for the continuing course of events. The significance of the study can be described in terms of that improved emergency medical dispatcher´s accuracy has the potential to improve the patients´ outcome after a stroke.