People with heart problems to get treatment online as NHS given green light

People suffering from cardiac conditions could soon access rehabilitation programmes from the comfort of their own homes following new draft guidance unveiled on August 19. Six digitalplatforms have received conditional recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for deployment across the NHS, though the approach won't suit every patient.

Activate Your Heart, D REACH-HF, Digital Heart Manual, Gro Health HeartBuddy, KiActiv and myHeart, are the approved platforms set to be used over a three-year period. They will be used while authorities compile data regarding their long-term effectiveness to tackle certain doubts surrounding the schemes.

These digital rehabilitation services provide fitness regimens, nutritional guidance, learning resources, medicine oversight and mental health assistance.

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Certain platforms additionally feature wearable technology to track physical activity levels. Specialists claimed the schemes "offer real potential to transform" the delivery of this care category to individual patients.

Approximately seven million Britons are thought to be impacted by cardiovascular illness covered by this fresh guidance, yet conventional rehabilitation schemes suffer from poor participation rates.

During 2023, merely 41% of people with acute coronary syndrome, encompassing ailments such as heart attack and angina, took part in cardiac rehabilitation schemes across England.

Just 13% of heart failure patients enrolled in the programmes during their recuperation. Rehabilitation for these conditions can slash the risk of additional heart troubles and hospital stays.

Currently, these services are typically provided on the NHS through in-person consultations. Participation rates are notably poor amongst women, younger people, ethnic minorities, those in disadvantaged communities and others who find it difficult to attend face-to-face sessions.

It's hoped that shifting this treatment online could boost the number of people getting involved. Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, healthtech programme director at Nice, said: "These digital platforms offer real potential to transform how cardiac rehabilitation is offered to people to meet their individual circumstances.

"We know that traditional programmes aren't reaching everyone who could benefit - particularly women, younger patients and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

"The early data is promising and suggests, with safeguards in place, more people should now be given the opportunity to use these new technologies.

"This three-year evidence collection period will give us the additional robust data we need to determine whether these innovations should be recommended as a permanent part of cardiac care."

Nevertheless, NICE has acknowledged that the digital rehabilitation won't be appropriate for all patients. A qualified NHS healthcare professional will still be required to carry out a comprehensive clinical evaluation before recommending these platforms to individual patients.

Following a three-year period of evidence collection, NICE will assess the data and make a decision on whether the technology can be regularly integrated into the NHS.

A consultation on the conditional recommendation is currently in progress and will conclude on 3 September. NICE stated that seven other platforms – Beat Better, Datos Health, Get Ready, Luscii vitals, Pumping Marvellous Cardiac Rehab Platform, R Plus Health and Sword Move – require further research before they can receive NHS funding.