Stroke patients could be helped to hospital quicker with a new smartphone app.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are set to release an application called Fast which identifies key symptoms of a stroke.
It is hoped the app will help diagnosis, treatment and prevention in the future.
Funding for the app has been provided by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) whose research shows that stroke is the third-biggest killer in Scotland, behind heart disease and cancer.
Fast asks users if the person can smile, can lift both arms and if their speech is slurred. If all these symptoms are present, the user is told to call 999.
The app, available on iPhone and Android handsets, points to different symptoms and indicators, while providing instant access to nursing staff and hospitals on demand.
David Clark, chief executive of CHSS, said: "Around 12,000 people will have a stroke each year in Scotland.
"We hope that our app will help people to recognise the symptoms of stroke and guide them through the process of calling for help.
"In a typical stroke, you lose two million brain cells a minute so it is vital that you're treated as quickly as possible."
The app is part of the Fast campaign by NHS Scotland and CHSS, aimed at treating and preventing strokes.
See original here:
Smartphone app helps stroke victims