Cellular telemedicine app DrGo by telecommunications supplier HKT has launched a brand new atrial fibrillation screening function.
The app has added into its app the a-fib screening know-how referred to as FibriCheck by Belgian firm Qompium. The know-how, which has been cleared in the USA, Australia, and Europe, has sensitivity, specificity, and constructive predictive values of greater than 90%.
On the app, DrGo customers can test their coronary heart rhythm utilizing the FibriCheck function by inserting a finger on their smartphone’s digital camera. Outcomes will likely be delivered in a minute, and will the screening suspect a-fib, customers will obtain a follow-up cellphone name or electronic mail from the Hong Kong Society of Rehabilitation (HKSR), its companion organisation, who will suggest additional testing.
WHY IT MATTERS
Stroke is the fourth greatest killer illness in Hong Kong. Though AF causes stroke in a single in 5 sufferers, a 3rd of them are unaware that that they had the situation previous to having a stroke. It’s estimated that over 250,000 Hong Kong folks have persistent or paroxysmal AF, a 3rd of which can not expertise signs, based on native analysis.
The addition of a coronary heart rhythm checker on the DrGo app “will empower customers to raised handle their coronary heart well being and have a greater understanding of the destructive affect of atrial fibrillation,” mentioned Teresa Ng, DrGo chief industrial officer.
In the meantime, HKT, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics, HKSR, and FibriCheck, additionally launched the Atrial Fibrillation Tele-Screening Programme (AF-SEEN) which goals to boost consciousness in regards to the danger of stroke attributable to a-fib. The programme is providing free 14-day entry to the FibriCheck function on DrGo for the primary 100,000 customers.
“Although mainstream world pointers suggest opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation for folks aged 65 or above, compliance to the rules continues to be very low. With the AF-SEEN Programme, we are able to examine the potential for tele-screening [for] atrial fibrillation in Hong Kong, which might probably assist cut back [its] burden on the Hong Kong public healthcare system,” Dr Chan Ngai-Yin, the programme’s medical advisor, mentioned.
MARKET SNAPSHOT
Early this 12 months, Nationwide Taiwan College Hospital unveiled RhythmCam, a shopper cell app that measures coronary heart rhythm for stopping stroke occasions. Out there on each iOS and Android gadgets, the free cell app has proven 95% accuracy in detecting a person’s blood quantity change utilizing PPG-based know-how.
ON THE RECORD
“We consider that by means of the DrGo app, we are going to encourage extra folks to conduct atrial fibrillation screening, leading to extra folks getting therapy after follow-up actions managed by our neighborhood community,” Ng Yuk-Mun, head of Allied Well being at HKSR, commented.
Discussion about this post