Stroke patients at a West London NHS trust are trialling a remote care tool that allows them to test for signs of atrial fibrillation (AF) at home.
FibriCheck has been co-designed by the CW Innovation initiative led by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its charity CW+.
AF is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder and is a leading cause of stroke. However, it can be intermittent and sometimes asymptomatic, making it difficult to detect.
The FibriCheck app enables patients to check their heart rate and rhythm by placing a finger on the lens of their smartphone to measure pressure pulse signals.
If AF is detected, patients will be called in for formal diagnosis and treatment.
The trial forms part of the trust’s ongoing efforts to enable clinicians to care for patients wherever they are without having to travel to hospital.
The project has been expedited by the CW Innovation programme launched two years ago.
A staff funding call for new digital innovations called RADICAL was introduced this year, with FibriCheck announced as a winning project.
The trial, which has support from the Rosetrees Trust and Kusuma Trust, will test how well AF is detected in people who have had a recent stroke and assess patient experience and satisfaction with the app.
Dr Sadia Khan, Consultant Cardiologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We are delighted to be able to trial FibriCheck at the Trust, to monitor stroke patients remotely without the need to come into our hospitals.
“FibriCheck is quick, reliable and easy to use, and the diagnostics will provide vital information so we can detect AF earlier in people who have had a recent stroke and undertake the next steps in clinical care to reduce the risk of further strokes.
“I’m confident the app will be a game changer in the way we manage patient care in the Stroke service”.
FibriCheck Co-Founder and CEO, Lars Grieten, added:
“This app is a powerful remote monitoring tool to improve AF detection rates and patient outcomes, safely and efficiently.
“We are pleased to be working with the cardiology specialists at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to help improve the quality of life and outcomes for patients with long-term conditions.”
Other projects managed by the CW Innovation programme include the Hand Therapy app and apps for managing diabetes and stable HIV at home.
