For the first time, heart patients in England will be able to complete their rehabilitation programmes at home using mobile phone apps.
Six digital platforms have been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to deliver online cardiac rehab, offering patients personalised exercise routines, dietary advice, medication management, and mental health support. Some apps also connect with wearable devices to track physical activity and monitor recovery.
NICE has granted the apps a three-year provisional licence, allowing NHS services to use them while further evidence on their effectiveness is gathered.
Experts say the technology has “real potential to transform” the way rehabilitation is delivered, especially for patients who struggle to attend traditional in-person programmes.
Currently, fewer than half of eligible patients access NHS cardiac rehab.
Uptake is particularly low among women, younger people, and patients from ethnic minority communities. NICE hopes digital platforms will help bridge this gap.
The six approved apps are:
Activate Your Heart
D REACH-HF
Digital Heart Manual
Gro Health HeartBuddy
KiActiv
myHeart
Some of these tools have already been trialled locally within the NHS, but the new approval means they can now be offered nationally.
Heart disease affects around seven million people in the UK. Early data from digital rehab trials suggest the apps could improve access and outcomes, but NICE stressed that patients must first be assessed by a healthcare professional before being enrolled.
Additional support may also be required for older patients, people with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, or individuals whose first language is not English.
Seven other platforms, including Beat Better, Datos Health, and Sword Move, were also reviewed but found to need more research before being rolled out across the NHS.
A public consultation on NICE’s conditional recommendation will remain open until September 3.
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