Mobile Technology Improves Adherence to Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Propensity Score-Matched Study.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Digital Health
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cardiac rehabilitation is crucial but faces suboptimal patient adherence.
• Mobile technology offers potential solutions to enhance patient engagement and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a mobile technology application on adherence to cardiac rehabilitation.
• To evaluate the effect of mobile technology on patient outcomes including exercise capacity, weight, and functional capacity.

Main Methods:

• A propensity-matched analysis of 830 cardiac rehabilitation program enrollees (2016-2019).
• Comparison between a group using mobile technology (app features: education, step tracking, messaging) and a standard care group.
• Matching criteria included age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, transportation time, diagnosis, and baseline depression score.

Main Results:

• The mobile technology group (n=114) attended more prescribed sessions (mean 28 vs. 22, RR 1.17, P=0.009).
• Patients using mobile technology were 1.8 times more likely to complete the program (P=0.01).
• A statistically significant, though slight, greater weight loss was observed in the mobile technology group (-1.71 lbs, P=0.02).

Conclusions:

• Adjunctive mobile technology use is associated with improved adherence in cardiac rehabilitation.
• Mobile technology enhances session attendance and program completion rates in a diverse patient population.
• This study highlights the potential of digital health tools to overcome barriers in cardiac rehabilitation.