Need Assessment for Smartphone-Based Cardiac Telerehabilitation

To identify the current status of smartphone usage and to describe the needs for smartphone-based cardiac telerehabilitation of cardiac patients.

In 2016, a questionnaire survey was conducted in a supervised ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in a university affiliated hospital with the participation of heart failure or heart transplantation patients who were smartphone users. The questionnaire included questions regarding smartphone usage, demands for smartphone-based disease education, and home health monitoring systems. Results were described and analyzed according to principal diagnosis.

Ninety-six patients (66% male; mean age, 53 ± 11 years), including 56 heart failure and 40 heart transplantation patients, completed the survey (completion rate, 95%). The median daily smartphone usage time was 120 minutes (interquartile range, 60-300), and the most frequently used smartphone function was text messaging (61.5%). Of the patients, 26% stated that they searched for health-related information using their smartphones more than 1 time per week. The major source of health-related information was Internet browsing (50.0%), and the least sought source was the hospital's website (3.1%). Patients with heart failure expressed significantly higher needs for disease education on treatment plan, home health monitoring of blood pressure, and body weight (χ² = 5.79, 6.27, 4.50, p < 0.05). Heart transplantation patients expressed a significant need for home health monitoring of body temperature (χ² = 5.25, p < 0.05).

Heart failure and heart transplantation patients show high usage of and interest in mobile health technology. A smartphone-based cardiac telerehabilitation program should be developed based on high demand areas and modified to suit to each principal diagnosis.