Digital platforms to support cardiac rehabilitation: early value assessment

Conventional cardiac rehabilitation may be offered by various healthcare professionals and involve multiple allied healthcare professionals. The mode of delivery of conventional cardiac rehab should be reported during evidence generation to minimise risk of bias and accurately assess costs for cost comparisons.

Data collection should ideally link to existing NHS infrastructure and to the NACR to avoid duplication and promote data standardisation.

Issues with data quality may impact analysis. Clear reporting about data quality is important and approaches such as multiple imputation could be used to address issues.

Trusts should take into account the costs of the digital technologies used in this assessment when implementing the technologies. When negotiating with companies, trusts should also consider the upfront costs for implementing a technology, staff and user training, integration with NHS systems and providing smart devices that need an internet connection.

Face-to-face cardiac rehabilitation sessions should be available for people with conditions that are not indicated for use with the digital technologies, or who decline using the technologies. Continued support from cardiac rehabilitation teams should still be offered to people who accept the technology.

People who are eligible to use a technology in line with its intended use but who are excluded for any other reasons should be described in the reporting of future evidence.

There is a risk that using digital technologies could widen the gap in access to cardiac rehabilitation. Support and resources may be needed for people:

Reporting intervention-related adverse events is essential to assess any risk associated with the use of the technologies in the NHS.