Which app is right for my CVD patient?

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity, and despite efforts to identify and control cardiovascular risk factors, significant disease burden remains. As traditional strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk are challenged by lack of resources and growing populations, new strategies are deployed, including the use of smartphone applications (apps) designed to help patients manage their risk factors. For cardiovascular disease, some apps specifically address one risk factor, but others include a more holistic approach to manage multiple risk factors at once for primary and secondary prevention, whereas others serve as virtual cardiac rehabilitation intervention support. App stores show thousands of options in each app category, making it difficult to select the appropriate ones to recommend to patients. Very few apps in the app stores are rigorously validated for clinical efficacy or safety, making selection even more challenging. To address this, health organizations worldwide have created platforms to examine and appraise mobile health apps using standardized criteria to support clinician and patient app selection decisions. Now, with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, prolonged lockdowns have challenged traditional models of care. Telemedicine for cardiovascular disease patients is advancing virtual cardiac rehabilitation models to replace or improve traditional care.