Dr. Raivo Soodla

Dr. Raivo Soodla is a neurologist at the North Estonia Medical Centre (PERH) in Tallinn, Estonia's largest hospital and primary neurology referral center. With 16 years of clinical experience, he has developed expertise in stroke medicine, multiple sclerosis, and the application of digital health tools in neurology.

Estonia's pioneering digital health infrastructure extends to neurology. Dr. Soodla has been involved in developing Estonia's telestroke network, which uses telemedicine to extend specialist stroke expertise to smaller regional hospitals, dramatically reducing time-to-thrombolysis for rural patients. This program is internationally recognized as a model for digital stroke care.

He completed a neurology fellowship at the University Hospital of Helsinki, Finland, gaining training in acute stroke management protocols and MS disease-modifying therapy. He is an EAN member and participates in Baltic and Nordic neurology research networks.

Dr. Soodla is known for his integration of digital tools — from electronic health records to telemedicine platforms — into everyday clinical neurology practice, making Estonia a model for digital neurology implementation.

Dr. Soodla received his MD from the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine in 2005. He completed his neurology residency at PERH and undertook a neurology fellowship at the University Hospital of Helsinki (HUS), Finland (2010–2011). His PhD from the University of Tartu in 2014 focused on telestroke outcomes in the Estonian national stroke network. He is a member of the European Academy of Neurology and is certified by the Estonian Health Board in neurology.

Dr. Soodla's clinical expertise covers stroke (acute thrombolysis, telemedicine stroke consultation, secondary prevention), multiple sclerosis (disease-modifying therapy including all approved agents), epilepsy (EEG, antiepileptic drug management), Parkinson's disease, and migraine. He is a key figure in PERH's telestroke program, providing remote stroke specialist consultations to regional Estonian hospitals. He performs EEG, EMG, nerve conduction studies, and lumbar puncture. He also manages peripheral neuropathy and headache disorders as part of his comprehensive neurological practice.

Dr. Soodla has published over 18 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Stroke and the European Journal of Neurology. His research focuses on telestroke outcomes, the Estonian national stroke network, MS epidemiology in Estonia, and digital health in neurology. He collaborates with neurologists in Finland and Sweden and participates in Baltic and Nordic neurology research networks. He has presented findings at the European Stroke Organisation conference and the Scandinavian-Baltic Neurology meeting.

Dr. Soodla speaks Estonian, Finnish, and English and provides telemedicine neurology consultations for international patients — including remote stroke consultations, second opinion assessments for MS diagnosis and treatment, and epilepsy management reviews. PERH has a dedicated international patient service with English-language medical reports and coordination support.

Estonia's exceptional telemedicine infrastructure makes high-quality remote neurology consultation readily available from anywhere in the world. Finnish patients in particular frequently access PERH for neurological conditions, given the proximity of Helsinki by ferry (just 80 km and 2.5 hours) and the historically close medical ties between the two countries. Estonia's EU membership and lower costs relative to Finland or Sweden make it an attractive destination for neurological care.

Dr. Soodla received the Estonian Neurological Society Award for Innovation in Stroke Care in 2017 in recognition of his leadership in developing and implementing Estonia's telestroke network — a telemedicine-based programme that extends specialist stroke expertise to regional hospitals and has significantly reduced time-to-thrombolysis for rural patients. This programme has been recognised internationally as a model for digital stroke care.

He was recognised by North Estonia Medical Centre (PERH) for his contributions to digital neurology integration and received European Academy of Neurology (EAN) recognition for his research on telestroke as a model for digital stroke care in Europe. He has published a PhD and over 18 peer-reviewed articles on telestroke outcomes, multiple sclerosis, and digital health in neurology.