Cognitant

My Stroke Companion provides personalised digital information that supports people to navigate life after stroke.

Competition 18 - Stroke and Technology

In the UK, over 100,000 strokes occur annually – equivalent to one every five minutes – contributing to the 12 million strokes each year worldwide.

Following hospital discharge, people navigate the life-changing consequences of stroke using general information that may not be specific to their individual needs, ethnicity or social background.
My Stroke Companion is a digital platform that provides a connected world for stroke survivors and their families by providing personalised health information about their stroke and follow-up care. The platform enables clinicians to generate bespoke information prescriptions based on individual needs including type of stroke, prescribed medicines, rehabilitation plans and conditions related to stroke.

Supporting the NHS 10-year plan, aiming to ‘improve the quality of care and treatment available for those who have had a stroke’ , My Stroke Companion presents easy-to-understand information in varied formats, including video animations, text-to-audio and picture-led easy reads. Additionally, My Stroke Companion is translated into multiple languages, includes tailored information about local services, navigating life after stroke, and support for caregivers. Initial pilot data demonstrates superior engagement levels compared to benchmarking data, high user acceptance, and investment from hospital staff. My Stroke Companion is being actively used in five NHS hospitals in the UK, and further in-depth evaluation is underway.

• A successful pilot has been completed with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), which supported over 300 stroke survivors and their families to access personalised information following stroke
• Adopted by four additional NHS sites, all of which are actively generating information prescriptions using My Stroke Companion
• Data shows that stroke survivors and their families in the UK have already interacted with the platform over 800 times, viewing content more than 2,500 times
• A panel of internationally recognised academics, stroke clinicians, charity partners and other stakeholders are actively invested in developing the tool further to support increasing research participation and reducing repeat hospital admissions
• A significant update has been released to the platform including support for caregivers, the ability for users to track and monitor their own health data, and a bespoke individual goal-setting function
• Partnerships with leading charities in the UK, and the convening of multiple panels of stroke survivors and caregivers, has allowed the solution to be co-designed with end users using participatory research methods
• Featured in the UK's Digital Health Playbook 2023

“This new educational platform will allow more people to understand their stroke and increase their likelihood of recovery. The information, shared both with stroke survivors and their carers, will always be accurate, appropriate and well-presented, unlike information searches on the internet, which can often be inaccurate and unsafe.”

Clinical Lead, Dr Rob Simister, Consultant Neurologist, UCLH

"I’m excited to be working with Cognitant on My Stroke Companion; this is a big opportunity to provide people with personalised, relevant and accessible information after stroke, helping them understand and gain more control over their condition.”

Dr Phil Clatworthy, Consultant Stroke Neurologist and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, CCIO, North Bristol NHS Trust

February 2024