Launch of a Global Atrial Fibrillation Patient Portal on World Stroke Day

Blue Latitude Health|29^th October 2015

 

Working with the Sign Against Stroke (SAS) Task Force Blue Latitude Health has created a patient-centric portal to provide information on how to manage Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and help prevent AF-related strokes.
We are pleased to announce the launch of Sign Against Stroke a patient and carer centric website for people impacted by AF, on World Stroke Day. The website includes downloadable materials developed by the Sign Against Stroke Task Force to empower patients and their family members. The goal of the new SAS site is to successfully inform and educate people on Atrial Fibrillation, AF-related stroke and the treatment options. The ultimate aim is to empower patients in taking an active role in their health care. During development, Blue Latitude Health focused on understanding the needs and learning journey of people impacted by AF and stroke, and also their carers from pre-diagnosis to treatment. The design was based on an appreciation of how people approach coming to terms with their condition, from both a rational and emotional perspective. This meant not only looking at the types of content, but how content was written, presented, and structured. This approach resulted in relevant information being introduced to patients and carers through compelling Sign Against Stroke infographics, which aim to explain complex concepts in a visual, easily digestible form.

 


Talking about the portal, leadership from both organisations had the following to say;

About Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) describes the rapid, irregular beating of the left atrium (upper chamber) of the heart. These rapid contractions of the heart are weaker than normal contractions, resulting in slow flow of blood in the atrium. The blood pools and becomes sluggish and can result in the formation of blood clots. If a clot leaves the heart and travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke by blocking the flow of blood through cerebral arteries. Some people with AFib have no symptoms, but others may experience a fluttering feeling in the area of the chest above the heart, chest pain, light-headness or fainting, shortness of breath, and fatigue.



AFib, which affects as many as 2.2 million Americans, increases an individual’s risk of stroke by 4 to 6 times on average. The prevalence of AFib is expected to increase 2.5 fold to 5.6 million by 2050, reflecting the growing population of elderly individuals. The risk of stroke associated with AFib increases with age.

About www.SignAgainstStroke.com

The content and tools found on SignAgainstStroke.com have been developed by the authors of the Global AF Patient Charter. This Task Force has been coordinated by a secretariat funded by Bayer Healthcare. This website is administrated by Fundacja Udaru Mózgu (The Polish Stroke Foundation), on behalf of the Sign Against Stroke (SAS) Task Force.
 

About StopAfib.org

The mission of StopAfib.org is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families, support the doctor-patient relationship, and wipe out afib-related strokes worldwide. It provides information about atrial fibrillation symptoms, causes, risks, treatments, resources, and the latest afib news and videos. Now the No. 1 Arrhythmia site on the Internet and in the Top 5 Heart Disease sites, StopAfib.org has received the HON Code Seal from the Health on the Net Foundation, signifying a credible, trustworthy medical web site. StopAfib.org CEO and founder, Mellanie True Hills, CSP, is the author of A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life and has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, USA Weekend, and in Heart-Healthy Living, More, and Success magazines.

To hear more about other services we have developed for patients and carers, get in touch with Head of Commercial Matt Bolton at matt.bolton@bluelatitude.net.