CARDIOCOACH

Problem statement – In Belgium, heart failure (HF) is the leading cause of hospitalization in the age group 65 plus. In addition, the life expectancy of patients with HF is shorter than the life expectancy for the majority of cancer patients. The prognosis for HF patients can improve significantly through proper medical treatment according to the evidence-based guidelines published by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). However, in clinical practice, a large number of patients is not taking the proposed medications or the medication dose is insufficient.

Project goal – The CARDIOCOACH project aims to support the caregiver and the patient to apply the ESC guidelines (2012) on medication intake for HF faster and more efficient in practice and this through the use of ICT (hardware / software / intelligent algorithms). For this purpose, telemonitoring technology through sensors will be combined in an intelligent way with a newly developed two-way communication system (via a smart phone application), which allows the physician to remotely adjust the patient’s therapy, based on registered medical parameters, symptoms and side effects. In addition, the smart phone application will encourage compliance and patient involvement in treatment.

Keywords – mHealth, heart failure, adherence, telemonitoring, remote care, medical smartphone app

Partners – The project is funded by the Flemish Government and will be implemented within one of the Flemish living labs for elderly care: ‘CAREVILLE Limburg, Moving Care platform’. The project partners are Remedus, a company specializing in home hospitalization and telemonitoring technology, Hospital East-Limburg and the Jessa Hospital (clinical partners), and the Mobile Health Unit of Hasselt University (academic partner).