Smartphone App Shows Promise in Detection of Heart Attacks and Strokes

A new clinical study suggests that a smartphone app developed by a number of institutions and universities can “help people determine if they are suffering heart attacks or strokes and should seek medical attention.”

The ECHAS app (Emergency Call for Heart Attack and Stroke) is designed to “help people recognize the signs of cardiac and neurological emergencies so that they get care as quickly as possible.” The app proved effective at “identifying people suffering strokes or heart attacks” when tested with more than 200 real-life emergency-room patients. It also was rated “’highly usable,’ suggesting it could be an easy and effective resource for people untrained to recognize the signs of a potentially devastating health emergency.”

The first 60 minutes after a stroke or heart attack is the period during which “medical treatments are the most effective.” ECHAS is “based on the same questions doctors ask when patients arrive at the emergency room,” and it calculates a risk score based on those questions, advising “whether to call 911, call a medical hotline, or contact [a] doctor or other care provider.”

In its initial clinical trial, the app “proved 100% effective at identifying patients who would ultimately be admitted to the hospital after their emergency evaluation.” The app could also detect strokes in less than two minutes and heart attacks in only one. It is not yet available, as “further testing in large trials is needed.”