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Healing Veteran Hearts with Virtual Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation (Smart HEART)

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Smart HEART (Health Education and Rehab Technology) Virtual Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation helps some of the most vulnerable at-risk veterans who have had hospitalizations for heart disease. We use connected technology such as fitness trackers and a smartphone app to remotely connect veterans at home with their VA cardiology team. We use a sophisticated dashboard system with programmed alerts to improve the efficiency of patient care and prevent adverse outcomes.

This innovation is replicating across multiple facilities as its impact continues to be validated. See more replicating innovations.

Adoptions:

5 successful

Awards and Recognition:

iNet Spark Award Investee, iNET Spread Investee

Partners:

Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Rural Health, VHA Innovators Network

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Metrics

  • 2x the number of veterans served
  • 50% of the cost of traditional cardiac rehabilitation in the community
  • 9 mg/dL reduction in LDL cholesterol
  • 36% reduction in smoking of active smokers in the program
  • 1.5 point reduced PHQ-9 score for depressive symptoms
  • 10% increase in functional capacity with 6 minute walk test
  • 5 point increased cardiac self-efficacy
  • 95% veteran satisfaction reported

Diffusion tracker

Does not include Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH)

Statuses

CA: Palo Alto VA Medical Center (Palo Alto, California)
  • Started adoption on 07/2018, ended on 12/2018.
CA: San Francisco VA Medical Center (San Francisco)
  • Started adoption on 11/2018, ended on 06/2019.
FL: Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Gainesville)
  • Started adoption on 09/2018, ended on 01/2020.
GA: Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Started adoption on 05/2016.
OH: Cincinnati VA Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
  • Started adoption on 07/2018, ended on 02/2020.

There are no in-progress adoptions for this innovation.

There are no unsuccessful adoptions for this innovation.

Multimedia

Images

Above:

Enrollment visit with participant with Smart HEART kit that includes the smartphone app, connected BP monitor/scale, education booklet, as well as wristband wearable.