Sivakumar Rajasree, Rajendran Mythreyi, K G Prashanth
The Stroke Care Companion demonstrated high usability and feasibility as a stroke-specific mobile health application for supporting anticoagulation management and poststroke care. The application shows promise for improving medication adherence, vital sign monitoring, and continuity of care. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.
OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the usability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of the Stroke Care Companion.
DESIGN: A mobile health application was designed to support anticoagulation management, medication adherence, vital sign monitoring, and follow-up care among stroke survivors.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 114 clinically stable adult stroke survivors receiving anticoagulation therapy (warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants) were recruited from neurology outpatient clinics and stroke follow-up services. Participants used the application for 8 weeks.
METHODS: The Stroke Care Companion provides medication reminders, appointment scheduling, blood pressure and symptom logging, adherence tracking, and caregiver support. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale, whereas medication adherence, follow-up compliance, and vital sign monitoring were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Qualitative feedback was collected through user interviews.
RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 64.7 ± 9.8 years, and 58.8% were men. The application demonstrated excellent usability, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 82.4 ± 8.7 and a task completion rate of 94.7%. Medication adherence improved from 63.2% at baseline to 90.1% after 8 weeks, whereas follow-up compliance increased from 61% to 89%. Regular blood pressure monitoring was reported by 89% of participants, and 92% found the application easy to use. Caregivers reported that the application improved patient monitoring and communication.
CONCLUSIONS: The Stroke Care Companion demonstrated high usability and feasibility as a stroke-specific mobile health application for supporting anticoagulation management and poststroke care. The application shows promise for improving medication adherence, vital sign monitoring, and continuity of care. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm its effectiveness and evaluate long-term clinical outcomes.