Digital platforms to support cardiac rehabilitation: early value assessment

  • Health technology evaluation
  • HTE35
  • Published: 

Register as a stakeholder

Download guidance (PDF)

2 Information about the technologies

2.1

Digital technologies to support cardiac rehabilitation are a possible treatment option for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD). They can be used on mobile phones, tablets or computers. They are intended to be offered as an option to support cardiac rehabilitation programmes remotely. This would enable people with CVD to self-manage their care at a time and location that is convenient to them. These digital platforms are not intended to replace the initial assessments in a cardiac rehabilitation programme, which is when prescribing decisions would usually be made (see the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation [BACPR] Standards and Core Components 2023 [PDF only])

2.2

Thirteen technologies were included in the scope and external assessment report. Many of the technologies are in use in the NHS. Some of the technologies are indicated for a specific CVD population.

2.3

The technologies typically include most or all of the standard components of conventional cardiac rehabilitation (see the BACPR Standards and Core Components 2023 [PDF only]). These include:

  • health behaviour change and education

  • lifestyle risk factor management

  • medical risk management

  • psychosocial health

  • long-term strategies.

2.4

Digital platforms for cardiac rehabilitation vary in terms of:

  • the mode of delivery (through websites [web] or applications [apps])

  • the components of cardiac rehabilitation that are offered

  • target populations

  • programme duration

  • the frequency and level of support by healthcare professionals

  • other features.

    See table 1 and table 2 for comparisons of the features of the technologies included in this evaluation.

Table 1: Core components of cardiac rehabilitation
Technology Health behaviour change and exercise Lifestyle risk factor management Medical risk management Psychosocial health Long-term strategies

Activate Your Heart

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Beat Better

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Datos Health

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

D REACH‑HF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Digital Heart Manual

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Get Ready

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Gro Health HeartBuddy

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

KiActiv

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Luscii vitals

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

myHeart

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Pumping Marvellous

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

R Plus Health

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Table 2: Other features of the technologies
Technology CE or UKCA mark Length of programme (weeks) Clinician dashboard Remote monitoring Connectivity to other devices Communication with NHS healthcare professional via platform Access to company-employed rehabilitation support staff

Activate Your Heart

NR

12

Yes

No

No

Yes

No

Beat Better

NR

Average 12

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Datos Health

No

24

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

D REACH‑HF

NR

12

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Digital Heart Manual

NR

6

No

No

No

No

No

Get Ready

Class 1

Seeking class 2a

Flexible

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Gro Health HeartBuddy

Class 1

12

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

KiActiv

Class 1

Flexible

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Luscii vitals

Class 2a

Flexible

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

myHeart

Class 1

UKCA

12

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Pumping Marvellous

NR

8

No

No

No

No

Yes

R Plus Health

Class 1

Flexible

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Abbreviations: NR, not required; UKCA, UK Conformity Assessed.

Activate Your Heart (University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust)

2.5

Activate Your Heart is a web-based cardiac rehabilitation platform for a range of cardiac conditions including:

  • all coronary heart disease conditions

  • rehabilitation after bypass or valve surgery

  • spontaneous coronary artery dissection

  • heart failure

  • arrhythmias.

    It is part of the i-IMPACT online platform. The platform personalises features such as exercise programmes and educational resources using input from a healthcare professional and the user.

Beat Better (Avegen Ltd)

2.6

Beat Better is an app- and web-based cardiac rehabilitation platform for people who have had a myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass graft. Healthcare professionals can use the platform to provide exercise and dietary recommendations, and educational resources on heart health and symptom recognition. Users can track health measurements, exercise symptoms, mood and medication using the app, which can be reviewed by healthcare professionals.

Datos Health (Datos Health Ltd)

2.7

Datos Health is a digital remote monitoring artificial-intelligence-enabled platform for supporting cardiac rehabilitation. The Datos CareApp allows users to track vital statistics such as heart rate, blood pressure and weight; report symptoms; complete assessments; and receive personalised educational content.

D REACH-HF (Health & Care Innovations Ltd)

2.8

D REACH‑HF is a facilitated (healthcare professional-supported) web-based digital version of the paper REACH‑HF programme for people with heart failure. It includes exercise programmes, educational content, progress tracking and resources for family and friends. D REACH‑HF is facilitated (supported) by a healthcare professional who has access to the user's progress tracker. The healthcare professional reviews progress, adjusts goals and personalises support during in-person or telephone consultations.

Digital Heart Manual (NHS Lothian)

2.9

The Digital Heart Manual is a facilitated (healthcare professional-supported) web-based digital version of the paper Heart Manual Programme (NHS Lothian). There are different versions available for people who have had:

  • a myocardial infarction or angioplasty

  • revascularisation (angioplasty and coronary bypass) but no myocardial infarction.

    The platform includes an exercise guide, education, diet, medication and psychological support. The healthcare professional can review and adjust goals in collaboration with the user based on their input through standard NHS communication channels.

Get Ready (Medtronic)

2.10

Get Ready is an app- and web-based management, remote monitoring and patient engagement platform. It can be used to support cardiac rehabilitation for people with CVD, including people with heart failure and people who have had coronary revascularisation, or valve repair or replacement. The platform delivers educational content on cardiac conditions and risk factors, and general guidance on daily activities, which can be customised by healthcare professionals for local needs.

Gro Health HeartBuddy (DDM health)

2.11

Gro Health HeartBuddy is an app-based cardiac rehabilitation platform for people:

  • who have had:

    • a myocardial infarction

    • percutaneous coronary intervention

    • a coronary artery bypass graft

    • a new diagnosis of heart failure or atrial fibrillation

  • after acute admissions for decompensated heart failure or uncontrolled atrial fibrillation.

    The platform personalises content on education, exercise programmes, health tracking, dietary support, medication adherence support, psychosocial support, lifestyle and behavioural modifications and healthcare professional engagement based on input from the user.

KiActiv (Ki Performance Lifestyle Limited)

2.12

KiActiv is an app- and web-based digital platform for cardiac rehabilitation that includes a proprietary wearable device that collects and processes physical activity data. It can be used by people with cardiac conditions including acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease and post-cardiac surgery. Data collected through the apps and from the wearable device helps users create personalised cardiac rehabilitation programmes. KiActiv provides interactive tools for users to log and self-monitor medication use, physical activity data, pain, stress, fatigue, overall health, lifestyle behaviours and symptoms. A mentor employed by KiActiv signposts users to educational resources related to nutrition, medical risk management, smoking cessation, and psychosocial health (including peer-support groups) at set times.

Luscii vitals (Luscii healthtech B.V.)

2.13

Luscii vitals is an app that can be used to support cardiac rehabilitation. It provides personalised exercise plans that are developed with the cardiac rehabilitation team. Users can self-monitor by recording their symptoms or completing questionnaires, and outputs such as educational resources can be personalised based on these inputs.

myHeart (my mhealth Limited)

2.14

myHeart is an app- and web-based cardiac rehabilitation platform for people with heart disease or recovering from cardiac surgery. The platform automatically personalises educational content and guidance using the user's diagnosis and information about their lifestyle including smoking status and weight. This can be done remotely to complement face-to-face sessions. The platform provides lifestyle and risk factor interventions such as symptom trackers, an activity diary, a medication diary, and electrocardiograph and echocardiogram results tracking as well as psychosocial support.

Pumping Marvellous Cardiac Rehab Platform (Pumping Marvellous Foundation)

2.15

The Pumping Marvellous Foundation is a heart failure charity that provides a web-based online cardiac rehabilitation platform for people with heart failure. It provides structured exercise programmes based on the person's ability to exercise (low and medium). The platform also provides educational material and psychosocial support through a peer-to-peer online community.

R Plus Health (RPlusHealth Limited)

2.16

R Plus Health is an app- and web-based platform that provides exercise prescription and heart rate monitoring for people with a chronic heart condition including heart failure, stable angina, coronary revascularisation and post-cardiac surgery. The app allows users to follow their exercise prescriptions, access health education materials, record vital statistics such as heart rate, blood pressure, weight and diet, and complete questionnaires personalised by their healthcare professional. Users are prompted to measure vital statistics at intervals during exercise sessions, which can trigger alerts to healthcare professionals if they are abnormal. Healthcare professionals can prescribe long-term exercise prescriptions and set follow-up plans after the initial programme.

Sword Move (Sword Health)

2.17

Sword Move is an app-based cardiac rehabilitation platform for people recovering from acute coronary syndrome or cardiac surgery, and people diagnosed with heart failure. It provides personalised exercise and guidance developed with a company-employed physical health specialist. The platform uses a proprietary artificial intelligence model to analyse and collect the user's history and performance, suggest actions and alert abnormalities to the physical health specialists through the healthcare professional portal. The platform also provides personalised educational content, resources and guided meditation and breathing exercises. Sword Move does not hold Class I UKCA or CE marking for use in cardiac rehabilitation, so the committee could not make recommendations on it.

Carbon Reduction Plans

2.18

For information, Carbon Reduction Plans for UK carbon emissions for 2 technologies are published here: