The Evolution of mHealth Solutions for Heart Failure Management

In the last decade, the uptake of information and communication technologies and the advent of mobile internet resulted in improved connectivity and penetrated different fields of application. In particular, the adoption of the mobile devices is expected to reform the provision and delivery of healthcare, overcoming geographical, temporal, and other organizational limitations. mHealth solutions are able to provide meaningful clinical information allowing effective and efficient management of chronic diseases, such as heart failure. A variety of data can be collected, such as lifestyle, sensor/biosensor, and health-related information. The analysis of these data empowers patients and the involved ecosystem actors, improves the healthcare delivery, and facilitates the transformation of existing health services. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of (i) the current practice in the management of heart failure, (ii) the available mHealth solutions, either in the form of the commercial applications, research projects, or related studies, and (iii) the several challenges related to the patient and healthcare professionals' acceptance, the payer and provider perspective, and the regulatory constraints.