Care assessment platform: An ICT-enabled home care model for secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading chronic diseases affecting developed countries. Traditional approach to secondary prevention of CVD through hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is hampered by the lack of uptake and adherence. Objective: To address this, the Australian e-Health Research Centre and Queensland Health have developed an alternative ICT-enabled CR program to be delivered to patients at home (CAP) that is currently undergoing a randomised control clinical trial (RCT). Methods: The RCT aims to compare outcomes of the traditional CR program in 3 Queensland hospitals with that of the CAP CR program delivered to patients at home. The CAP care model comprises of mobile phones installed with wellness/activity applications, blood pressure monitor and weight scales given to patients to log their daily progress of their health information and synchronise wellness portal via the 3G network. Motivational and educational content of CR programs for patients at home are also delivered multimedia material and sms text messages throughout the 6-week CR program. Mentors use of the update patient information on the wellness portal to deliver care to patients using mobile phones to communicate via voice or video calls. The RCT will conduct measurements of patients´ health outcomes for both traditional and CAP program at 3 stages: Baseline,6-week, and 6-month of the CR program. Results & Conclusions: The RCT of the CAP was recently recognised as an acceptable clinical protocol to demonstrate a clinically evidence-based outcome of the ICT-enabled home care for CR1. Preliminary analysis of the CAP show adherence rate of ICT usage to be more than 90%. Preliminary economic analysis showed CAP to be marginally more cost effective than the traditional CR program.