Application of an IT-based follow-up platform in improving the outcome of patients with ischemic stroke

Objective To establish an IT-based follow-up platform, and to explore its application effect in patients with ischemic stroke. Methods By constructing a follow-up model and a recurrence risk warning model for ischemic stroke patients, such a follow-up platform was established. Thanks to the retrospective comparative and analysis method, we built a study group comprising ischemic stroke patients discharged since the platform and a control group comprising 228 such patients discharged prior to the platform. These two groups were followed up by means of IT-based manner and traditional paper-based manner respectively at the first, third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth months since their discharge. These patients were analyzed in terms of their medication adherence, activities of daily living and recurrence rate. Results One year after the follow-up, 32 cases were lost of contact in the study group and 42 cases from the control group. Medication adherence of the study group was higher than that of the control group at the sixth month(2.72±0.62), ninth month (2.86±0.37) and twelfth month (2.83±0.40) after discharge, with the differences being statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusions The IT-based follow-up platform could improve the medication adherence of ischemic stroke patients, and reduce the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke, but the effect of improving activities of daily living was still not significant. Key words: Follow-up studies; Ischemic stroke; IT-based management; Secondary prevention