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Home-based digital monitoring allows health care providers to acquire the patient's physiological data and have a follow-up of the patient's physical activity, as well as the patient's engagement and behavioral adaptation to a new, healthier regime. The software makes it possible to receive data in a continuous manner, allowing the interpretation of the data by the clinical team while collaborating with the patient, thereby increasing the patient's engagement regarding their rehabilitation process and their awareness regarding their physical condition. The methodology can detect the contacts and cooperation between coordinator, team, and patient and can postulate the degree of compliance (Figure 7). It can also summarize the patient's activity during the rehabilitation period (in months) and their time of preference to perform the assignments (Figure 7).
Regularly performing physical activity is a well-established method for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases1,6. CR is an important tool to promote healthfulness and enhance therapeutic efficacy7,8.
Consensus statements among all agencies American Heart Association (AHA), American Association of Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR), American College of Cardiology (ACC), state that cardiac rehabilitation programs should offer a multidisciplinary approach to risk reduction and that programs that consist of exercise training alone are not enough25,26. Currently, CR programs address not only exercise but education (lifestyle) counseling as well27,28. Despite interventions such as utilizing electronic medical records, only a minority of eligible patients are willing to participate in the existing programs13. Moreover, patients' adherence to CR programs is not satisfactory. Home-based models have been developed to overcome obstacles such as distance as well as time constraints29,30,31,32,33,34,35.
Tele-CR has been shown to be as effective as conventional facility-based CR31,36.A meta-analysis comparing home-based to facility-based CR, examining exercise capacity, modifiable risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipid concentrations, and smoking), QoL, and cardiac events showed no differences in outcomes for those receiving home-based as opposed to facility-based rehabilitation in either the short term (<12 months) or long term (>12 months)37. Moreover, remote monitoring has an added value by allowing more patients to participate in rehabilitation programs and, specifically designed for those patients who cannot enroll in the facility-based CR, it can be used as an alternative for low-to-moderate cardiac risk patients36. A cost-benefit analysis comparing the two regimes found a benefit for either combined facility-home monitoring CR or telerehabilitation alone36,38.
Currently, home-based physical activity programs utilize diaries/questionnaires and mobile phone-based interventions29,30,31,32,35,39. However, all current remote home-based monitoring devices lack the technology to share data with the clinical team in real-time. Moreover, the clinical team's evaluation depends on the patient's subjective reports, which may not accurately reflect their condition. Another disadvantage is the lack of a daily team and group interaction and support. Furthermore, physical activity diaries should be interpreted cautiously unless the participants have an adequate understanding of physical activity intensity40.
Unlike with other telemedicine programs, which depend on the coordination of telephone calls and subjective reporting, clinical data using the current system can also be obtained retrospectively. The coordinator and team can communicate with patients via daily chat or calls, according to the mutual time convenience of patients and staff. Therefore, it is expected to find an improved collaboration between the patient and the multidisciplinary team. The AI system allows for the monitoring and identification of abnormal results that require the attention of the staff, such as an increase in blood pressure indices, changes in heart rate, failure to reach daily goals, etc. The assemblage of physiological information, including the parameters actively transmitted by the patient, such as blood pressure and ECG transmission, enables the rehabilitative team to treat the patient's complaints, to relieve anxieties, and to address symptoms such as a sense of palpitations, weakness, and fatigue. The patient learns to adopt new habits with the help of behavioral tools, daily feedback, and motivational elements, increasing the level of satisfaction and motivation to cooperate.
The methodology represented here, via the graph analysis, reflects the patient's new adapted lifestyle and provides scientists with information about the patient's engagement and interaction with the program, which cannot be done with standard questionnaires. However, this method has its limitations. First, the ECG platform is not connected or synchronized with the digital platform. For now, there is no interface between the two systems, requiring patients and staff to switch between apps. Second, technology usability barriers, difficulties using smartphone apps, and the fact that there is data that patients need to enter on their own make the methodology not suitable for all patients. It all depends on the capabilities and skills of the patients in using digital appliances and also on their ability to deal with the content and digital control.
Currently, the study is underway. The main goal is to encourage long-term health promotion and adherence with the aim to be economically cost efficient as well. In terms of technological capabilities, the goal is to make the digital system accessible to the entire population so that every patient could use the system without restrictions.