The ECHAS (Emergency Call for Heart Attack and Stroke) app, developed by experts from UVA Health, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and other leading US research centers, could revolutionize the way emergency medical situations are handled, according to the study published in JMIR Formative Research journal.   

The app aims to help users quickly recognize the symptoms of heart attack and stroke, the two leading causes of death in the US. As the developers emphasize, a quick response can be lifesaving, especially during the so-called “golden hour,” the first 60 minutes after symptoms appear. 

 Preliminary clinical trials involving more than 200 emergency room patients have shown that the app is highly effective in identifying patients with symptoms of stroke or heart attack. In the case of a heart attack, the identification time was only one minute, and in the case of a stroke, slightly less than two minutes. The app was rated as “very useful” and “highly sensitive,” meaning that it effectively detects cases requiring urgent care. 

ECHAS is based on a set of questions similar to those asked by doctors in hospital emergency departments. It also includes a simple neurological test – the so-called finger-nose test – to identify unilateral body weakness, characteristic of a stroke. 

After completing the test, the app calculates the risk score and advises the user whether they should call for help immediately, contact a medical hotline, or consult a doctor. 

Source: Nauka w Polsce, JMIR Formative Research DOI: 10.2196/60465.