Practical Use of a Communication Application on Mobile Devices by Our Stroke Team

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Neurology
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Effective communication is critical in acute stroke care.
• Mobile applications offer potential solutions for real-time information exchange among healthcare teams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the 1-year experience with the mobile Join application in a stroke team.
• To assess the impact of the Join application on door-to-puncture times for thrombectomy cases.
• To explore the role of the Join application in facilitating inter-hospital collaboration for stroke treatment.

Main Methods:

• The Join mobile application was implemented for immediate patient information sharing within the stroke team.
• Usage data and door-to-puncture times were analyzed over a 1-year period.
• Inter-hospital partnerships were established and managed using the Join application for telestroke consultations.

Main Results:

• The Join application facilitated notification for 337 events, with 23% related to acute stroke requiring reperfusion therapy.
• Pre-arrival patient information sharing occurred in 42% of acute stroke cases.
• Patients transferred from primary hospitals with pre-hospital information via Join had significantly shorter median door-to-puncture times (19 min vs. 71 min).

Conclusions:

• The mobile Join application was actively and effectively utilized by the stroke team.
• The application demonstrated efficacy in improving door-to-puncture times for thrombectomy.
• Join is expected to enhance inter-hospital collaboration, leading to improved stroke treatment outcomes.