JMIR Cardio

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cause of stroke, and timely diagnosis is critical for secondary prevention. Little is known about smartwatches for AF detection among stroke survivors. We aimed to examine accuracy, usability, and adherence to a smartwatch-based AF monitoring system designed by older stroke survivors and their caregivers.

To date, the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is the gold standard for cardiological diagnosis in clinical settings. With the advancements in technology, a growing number of smartphone apps and gadgets for recording, visualizing, and evaluating physical performance as well as health data is available. Although this new smart technology is innovative and time- and cost-efficient, less is known about its diagnostic accuracy and reliability.

The Heart Rhythm Society strongly recommends remote monitoring (RM) of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) because of the clinical outcome benefits to patients. However, many patients do not adhere to RM and, thus, do not achieve these benefits. There has been limited study of patient-level barriers and facilitators to RM adherence; understanding patient perspectives is essential to developing solutions to improve adherence.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is underdiagnosed, partially due to a high prevalence of atypical symptoms and a lack of physician and patient awareness. Implementing clinical decision support tools powered by machine learning algorithms may help physicians identify high-risk patients for diagnostic workup.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is often undiagnosed because of lack of awareness and frequent asymptomatic presentation. As AF is associated with increased risk of stroke, early detection is clinically relevant. Several consumer wearable devices (CWDs) have been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for irregular heart rhythm detection suggestive of AF. However, recommendations for the use of CWDs for AF detection in clinical practice, especially with regard to pathways for workflows and clinical decisions, remain lacking.

Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) are used to treat a range of cardiovascular diseases and can lead to substantial clinical improvements. However, studies evaluating patients’ experiences of living with these devices are sparse and have focused mainly on implantable cardioverter defibrillators. In addition, there has been limited evaluation of how people living with a CIED use social media to gain insight into their condition.

Overcrowding of hospitals and emergency departments (EDs) is a growing problem. However, not all ED consultations are necessary. For example, 80% of patients in the ED with chest pain do not have an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Artificial intelligence (AI) is useful in analyzing (medical) data, and might aid health care workers in prehospital clinical decision-making before patients are presented to the hospital.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a debilitating condition and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Digital health is a promising approach for delivering secondary prevention to support patients with a history of MI and for reducing risk factors that can lead to a future event. However, its potential can only be fulfilled when the technology meets the needs of the end users who will be interacting with this secondary prevention.

The high prevalence of hypertension necessitates effective, scalable interventions for blood pressure (BP) control. Self-monitoring has shown improved adherence to medication and better BP management. Mobile apps offer a promising approach with their increasing popularity and potential for large-scale implementation. Studies have demonstrated associations between mobile app interventions and lowered BP, yet real-world data on app effectiveness and engagement remain limited.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death in Australia, with a high residual risk of repeat events in survivors. Secondary prevention therapy is crucial for reducing the risk of both death and other major adverse cardiac events. The National Heart Foundation of Australia has developed a consumer-facing support program called My Heart, My Life (MHML) to address the gap in the secondary prevention of CHD in Australia. The MHML pilot program supplies advice and support for both patients and their caregivers, and it was conducted over 8 months from November 2019 to June 2020.

Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions. Clinical (eg, complex comorbidities and low ejection fraction) and social needs factors (eg, access to transportation, food security, and housing security) have both contributed to hospitalizations, emphasizing the importance of increased clinical and social needs support at home. Digital platforms designed for remote monitoring of HF can improve clinical outcomes, but their effectiveness has been limited by patient barriers such as lack of familiarity with technology and unmet social care needs. To address these barriers, this study explored combining a digital platform with community health worker (CHW) social needs care for patients with HF.

Numerous antineoplastic drugs such as chemotherapeutics have cardiotoxic side effects and can lead to long QT syndrome (LQTS). When diagnosed and treated in time, the potentially fatal outcomes of LQTS can be prevented. Therefore, regular electrocardiogram (ECG) assessments are critical to ensure patient safety. However, these assessments are associated with patient discomfort and require timely support of the attending oncologist by a cardiologist.