The Rehabilitation at Home Using Mobile Health in Older Adults After Hospitalization for Ischemic Heart Disease clinical trial, led by New York City-based NYU Langone Medical Center researchers, assessed an at-home program’s ability to improve functional capacity of older adult patients.
Here are five notes from the study:
- The trial enrolled 400 patients 65 or older who had been treated for ischemic heart disease at one of five academic hospitals in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts between Jan. 9, 2020, and April 22, 2024.
- Participants received either mobile health cardiac rehabilitation or usual care. The primary outcome was measured by a six-minute walking distance assessment conducted three months after care was initiated. The secondary outcomes were measured by health status, residual angina and impairment of daily living activities.
- Participants in the mobile health group received a tablet computer with software for use during the trial. The mobile health group had one in-person visit with an exercise therapist, with subsequent weekly remote counseling sessions via telephone.
Remote physiologic monitoring occurred through a wearable activity monitor and blood pressure cuff, both connected to the provided tablet via Bluetooth. Data was able to be viewed and shared through the software on the tablet.
- Overall, there was no difference in six-minute walking distance scores between the two care groups, though improvement was noted among female participants when subgroups were compared.
There were also no significant differences in any secondary outcomes between the two groups.
- “The findings suggest the older adult population may require more age-tailored mobile health strategies to effectively improve outcomes,” the study authors wrote.
Read the full study here.