title: Development of smartphone application that aids stroke screening and identifying nearby acute stroke care hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The benefits of thrombolytic treatment are time-dependent. We developed a smartphone application that aids stroke patient self-screening and hospital selection, and may also decrease hospital arrival time.
  
  
  METHODS
  The application was developed for iPhone and Android smartphones. Map data for the application were adopted from the open map. For hospital registration, a web page (http://stroke119.org) was developed using PHP and MySQL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Stroke 119 application includes a stroke screening tool and real-time information on nearby hospitals that provide thrombolytic treatment. It also provides information on stroke symptoms, thrombolytic treatment, and prescribed actions when stroke is suspected. The stroke screening tool was adopted from the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale and is displayed in a cartoon format. If the user taps a cartoon image that represents abnormal findings, a pop-up window shows that the user may be having a stroke, informs the user what to do, and directs the user to call emergency services. Information on nearby hospitals is provided in map and list views, incorporating proximity to the user's location using a Global Positioning System (a built-in function of smartphones). Users can search for a hospital according to specialty and treatment levels. We also developed a web page for hospitals to register in the system. Neurology training hospitals and hospitals that provide acute stroke care in Korea were invited to register. Seventy-seven hospitals had completed registration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This application may be useful for reducing hospital arrival times for thrombolytic candidates.
authors: Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea. jhheo@yuhs.ac.
authors: Hyo Suk
authors: HS
authors: Nam
authors: JoonNyung
authors: J
authors: Heo
authors: Jinkwon
authors: J
authors: Kim
authors: Young Dae
authors: YD
authors: Kim
authors: Tae Jin
authors: TJ
authors: Song
authors: Eunjeong
authors: E
authors: Park
authors: Ji Hoe
authors: JH
authors: Heo
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D056910:Republic of Korea; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Thrombolysis; emergency delivery service; smartphone; stroke