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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
04:24
A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
Digital Health Technology for Improving Physical Function in Adults With Chronic Heart Failure: Systematic Review and
Zhe Meng1, Juncai Li1, Jing Yang1
1School of Nursing, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, 1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue Economic and Technological Development Zone, ChangChun, Jilin, 130117, China.
Journal of Medical Internet Research
|August 13, 2026
Summary
Digital health technologies (DHTs) improve exercise capacity and cardiorespiratory fitness in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients. However, DHTs do not consistently increase daily physical activity, with hybrid models showing better results than app-only interventions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Digital Health
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Chronic heart failure (CHF) significantly impacts physical function and quality of life.
- Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is key but faces low participation due to barriers.
- Digital health technologies (DHTs) offer home-based alternatives, but their impact on physical activity versus capacity is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate DHT efficacy on physical activity and health outcomes in CHF patients.
- To identify intervention characteristics influencing physiological improvements.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from August 2015 to July 2025.
- Included studies compared DHTs with usual care or non-digital controls in adult CHF patients.
- Primary outcomes: 6-minute walk distance, peak oxygen uptake, daily step count. Secondary outcomes: quality of life.
Main Results:
- DHTs significantly improved 6-minute walk distance and peak oxygen uptake.
- Hybrid telerehabilitation models showed consistent benefits, unlike app-based interventions.
- DHTs reduced symptom burden on quality of life but had inconsistent effects on daily step counts.
Conclusions:
- DHTs effectively enhance cardiorespiratory fitness and functional capacity in CHF.
- Physiological improvements do not guarantee increased daily physical activity.
- Hybrid, remotely supervised models are superior to passive app-based approaches for efficacy and safety.
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