An App for That: iPhone App Can Diagnose Stroke With 100 Percent Accuracy
Neuroradiologists examined 120 brain scans and 70 head scans obtained through a national stroke database. The scans were read by to neuroradiologists, one on a medical diagnostic workstation and one on an iPhone.
Based on the data from the study, they concluded that the iPhone application was between 94 percent and 100 percent accurate compared to a medical workstation for diagnosing acute stroke.
Doctors who used the application praised its advanced visualization capabilities and its ability to handle large amounts of data.
The application, scientists believe, will be particularly useful in rural medical centers because it allows for real-time access to specialists such as neurologists, regardless of where the physician or patient is located.
“Time is critical for diagnosing stroke and starting treatment,” Dr. Mayank Goyal, a study researcher from the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, said in a press release. “There are definitely benefits for doctors to have the ability to analyze and diagnose these images from virtually anywhere.”
The application was developed by Dr. Ross Mitchell, PhD, and colleagues, then further enhanced and commercialized by Calgary Scientific. It has been licensed to a number of medical imaging companies, and over 50,000 hospitals around the world will have access to it in the next 2 years.
The study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.