Mobile Health Technologies and Cardiovascular Health
A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association highlights the potential of mobile health technologies to improve cardiovascular health. These technologies include wearable devices, mobile health apps, and telehealth or remote coaching, which can help people start and maintain heart-healthy behaviors such as eating a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and monitoring sleep.
The Promise of Mobile Health Technologies
Research has shown that mobile health technologies can be effective in promoting heart-healthy behaviors. For example, activity trackers and mobile apps with goal-setting and self-monitoring features have been shown to increase physical activity among adults with higher socioeconomic status. Mobile health apps that track food intake have also been shown to improve short-term dietary intake and weight loss.
Barriers to Equitable Access
Despite the promise of mobile health technologies, certain populations face barriers to accessing these technologies. People impacted by adverse social drivers of health, such as lower socioeconomic status, insufficient healthcare access, housing instability, and low-income communities, may face challenges in accessing cost-effective health technologies. Barriers to access include digital and health literacy, internet access, affordability, language barriers, cultural relevance, and privacy concerns.
Addressing Disparities in Cardiovascular Health
The scientific statement emphasizes the need to address these barriers to ensure equitable access to health care technologies and improve health outcomes for people at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association’s Center for Health Technology and Innovation is working to identify and address these barriers and develop health technologies that are scalable, effective, and affordable.
Future Research Directions
The statement authors emphasize that more research is needed to identify effective and scalable digital health interventions to promote cardiovascular health behaviors and increase equitable access to care. Future research should focus on developing culturally tailored interventions and assessing the long-term effectiveness of technology-based interventions.
Conclusion
Mobile health technologies hold great promise for improving cardiovascular health, but it is crucial to address the barriers to equitable access. By developing and identifying interventions to support populations most at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, we can increase equitable access to resources that promote health and improve health outcomes.
