Yiqun Wu 1 , Fei Chen 2 , Haiqing Song 2 , Wuwei Feng 3 , Jinping Sun 4 , Ruisen Liu 5 , Dongmei Li 6 , Ying Liu 5 Show Affiliations »
Abstract
BACKGROUND: To improve the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), timely thrombolytic therapy is crucial. Series strategies were recommended to reduce door-to-needle (DTN) time for AIS. Mobile technologies are feasible and have been used in stroke management for various purposes. However, the use of smartphone platforms that integrate series strategies through the entire first aid process to improve emergency management of AIS remains to be verified. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the utility and application of a smartphone platform in the emergency management of AIS and report the DTN time for patients with AIS during its 2-year application period. Our results are relevant to digital health management. METHODS: A smartphone platform named "Green" was developed to incorporate the field assessment, hospital recommendation, prehospital notification, real-time communication, clinical records creation, key time-stamping, and quality control to streamline and standardize overall AIS emergency management processes. The emergency medical system (EMS) and all the emergency departments in Beijing have used this platform since 2018. From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, 8457 patients diagnosed with AIS received intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator therapy. The median DTN time and the proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes were reported. RESULTS: During the 2-year application period of this platform, the median DTN time was 45 minutes, and the proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes were 74.6% and 50.5%, respectively. The median DTN time was significantly reduced from 50 minutes in 2018 to 42 minutes in 2019 (P<.001). The proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes increased from 66.1% and 40.7%, respectively, in 2018 to 80.7% and 57.3%, respectively, in 2019 (both P<.001). Sustained improvement in DTN time was seen during all the observed months. The improvement occurred across all facilities, and the variations among hospitals also decreased. The median DTN time for patients transferred by ambulances (43 minutes) was significantly shorter than those who reached hospitals by themselves (47 minutes; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sustained reductions in DTN time reflected the improvement in AIS emergency management processes. The use of a smartphone platform integrating recommended strategies throughout all first aid stages is a practical way to help the emergency management of AIS. ©Yiqun Wu, Fei Chen, Haiqing Song, Wuwei Feng, Jinping Sun, Ruisen Liu, Dongmei Li, Ying Liu. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 09.02.2021.
BACKGROUND: To improve the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), timely thrombolytic therapy is crucial. Series strategies were recommended to reduce door-to-needle (DTN ) time for AIS. Mobile technologies are feasible and have been used in stroke management for various purposes. However, the use of smartphone platforms that integrate series strategies through the entire first aid process to improve emergency management of AIS remains to be verified. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the utility and application of a smartphone platform in the emergency management of AIS and report the DTN time for patients with AIS during its 2-year application period. Our results are relevant to digital health management. METHODS: A smartphone platform named "Green" was developed to incorporate the field assessment, hospital recommendation, prehospital notification, real-time communication, clinical records creation, key time-stamping, and quality control to streamline and standardize overall AIS emergency management processes. The emergency medical system (EMS) and all the emergency departments in Beijing have used this platform since 2018. From January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, 8457 patients diagnosed with AIS received intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator therapy. The median DTN time and the proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes were reported. RESULTS: During the 2-year application period of this platform, the median DTN time was 45 minutes, and the proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes were 74.6% and 50.5%, respectively. The median DTN time was significantly reduced from 50 minutes in 2018 to 42 minutes in 2019 (P<.001). The proportions of patients with DTN times of ≤60 minutes and ≤45 minutes increased from 66.1% and 40.7%, respectively, in 2018 to 80.7% and 57.3%, respectively, in 2019 (both P<.001). Sustained improvement in DTN time was seen during all the observed months. The improvement occurred across all facilities, and the variations among hospitals also decreased. The median DTN time for patients transferred by ambulances (43 minutes) was significantly shorter than those who reached hospitals by themselves (47 minutes; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sustained reductions in DTN time reflected the improvement in AIS emergency management processes. The use of a smartphone platform integrating recommended strategies throughout all first aid stages is a practical way to help the emergency management of AIS. ©Yiqun Wu, Fei Chen, Haiqing Song, Wuwei Feng, Jinping Sun, Ruisen Liu, Dongmei Li, Ying Liu. Originally published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 09.02.2021.
Entities: Chemical
Disease
Gene
Species
Keywords:
acute ischemic stroke; digital health; door-to-needle time; emergency; emergency management; first aid; mHealth; management; smartphone; smartphone platform; stroke; utility
Year: 2021
PMID： 33560236 PMCID： PMC7902188 DOI： 10.2196/25488
Source DB: PubMed Journal: JMIR Mhealth Uhealth ISSN： 2291-5222 Impact factor: 4.773