Poster: My Stroke Companion – a co-created and personalised digital support package for stroke survivors and their families

This poster was presented at the Welsh Stroke Conference in June 2023. It represents My Stroke Companion – the programme, co-created with UCLH, which offers personalised advice and support for stroke survivors and their care givers as they navigate life after stroke.

Download the poster here

Abstract

Many stroke survivors lack a comprehensive understanding of their diagnosis, care plan, or treatment following discharge. Patients, therefore, have less control over their care and are at higher risk of non-compliance to treatment regimes, increasing stroke recurrence risk and long-term disability.

Aim

‘My Stroke Companion’ is an accessible digital support package co-created alongside University College London Hospitals, charities, stroke survivors and caregivers. The platform is designed to provide personalised, reliable, and localised information to stroke survivors and their families, including about type of stroke, prescribed medicines, rehabilitation, and navigating life after stroke. This work aimed to measure patient response to, and acceptance of, My Stroke Companion following discharge from hospital after stroke by analysing platform engagement and from a patient feedback questionnaire. Clinician feedback was also captured.

Method

Over a four-week period, we piloted “prescription” of the first iteration of the platform to selected patients presenting to the UCLH Comprehensive Stroke Service.

Results

During the pilot, 57 people accessed the tool with a 13-minute average session duration, compared with a 2-minute industry standard. Information about type of stroke was most viewed. Patients shared that their understanding of their stroke and subsequent care plan increased after accessing the tool and clinicians provided favourable feedback, noting direct benefits to patient recovery.

Discussion/conclusions

Following a stroke, patient information should be accurate, tailored, and accessible. Pilot data from ‘My Stroke Companion’ suggests the benefits of, and appetite for, curated digital content. Further development of the platform and detailed evaluation are underway.

Download the poster here

Read more about My Stroke Companion in the full case study here