Webinar: Can digital education help stroke survivors to have better outcomes? A perspective from UCLH

This webinar, hosted by Daisy Allington, Chief Commercial Officer at Cognitant Group, focused on the topic of stroke medicine and the potential benefits of digital education for stroke survivors.

The session featured Dr. Rob Simister, a Consultant in Neurology and Stroke Medicine at UCLH, and Lee Callaghan, a stroke survivor and volunteer at the Stroke Association.

Full recording:

Executive Summary:

The webinar began by highlighting the significant global burden of stroke, with over 12 million new strokes occurring each year and more than 100 million individuals living as stroke survivors. The projections indicate that these numbers will continue to rise, emphasising the urgent need for new ways to prevent strokes and support those affected. Cognitant Group introduced “My Stroke Companion,” a personalised digital support package designed to provide information and resources to stroke survivors and their families after discharge from the hospital.

Dr. Rob Simister discussed the challenges faced by stroke survivors, caregivers, and clinicians in accessing relevant and personalised information. He emphasised that within stroke care, there is currently no established culture that promotes easy access to necessary information. Due to time pressures and a lack of personalised information, clinicians find it difficult to adequately support stroke survivors and caregivers. Dr. Simister stressed the importance of accurate, tailored, and meaningful information for patients and caregivers, reaching all individuals, including underrepresented groups, to ensure comprehensive recovery and access to local resources.

Lee Callaghan shared his personal experience as a stroke survivor, highlighting the lack of specific and localised information available to him during his recovery. He mentioned the existence of a “postcode lottery” with uneven care provision across different health trusts. Lee emphasised the importance of personalised support for stroke survivors and caregivers, given that every stroke and recovery journey is unique.

The webinar then delved into the solution co-created by Cognitant, UCLH and patient advisory groups: My Stroke Companion.

My Stroke Companion offers tailored information, 2D and 3D video animations, articles, and information about local support networks in multiple languages such as English, Hindi, Polish, Bengali, Gujarati, and Turkish. The content is presented in a simplified manner for easy comprehension. Clinicians can use My Stroke Companion to create personalised packages of information and resources for their stroke patients as part of the routine discharge process. This ensures that each patient receives information relevant to their specific diagnosis, care plan, medication, and lifestyle needs.

Daisy Allington presented the results of the pilot phase of My Stroke Companion, which has been viewed by nearly 500 stroke survivors, caregivers, and family members so far. The engagement levels have been encouraging, with an average viewing time of 6 minutes and a good depth of engagement across all the resources within the tool. Ongoing research, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups, is being conducted to understand the impact of My Stroke Companion on people’s understanding of their condition, their motivation to attend follow-up appointments, and their overall care experience. The tool has shown positive outcomes, helping individuals understand their condition, anticipate the next steps in their recovery, and manage risk factors at home.

Phase 2 of My Stroke Companion is set to launch soon, incorporating new features such as enhanced personalisation, additional topics like Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), and tailored information for younger stroke survivors, such as returning to work, applying for benefits, and managing personal relationships. The tool will also allow the collection of health data to further customise resources and support individuals during their recovery. Caregivers will have access to a version of the tool catered to their needs, with the same level of personalisation.

The webinar concluded with a video presentation and a Q&A session to address