Long-term Evaluation of a Mobile Application for Follow-up of Cardiac Patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) are global cardiovascular disease epidemics associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Their prevalence is already high and will continue to increase in the coming decades. A structured and efficient care system encompassing various aspects is needed to manage AF and HF morbidity and mortality. Technological developments and the increased use of smart devices, including in medical care, create opportunities to implement mobile applications to provide continuous, high-quality follow-up to patients. Our in-house developed application, recently improved and expended, provides a reliable source of educational material on AF and HF, with the ability to save health appointments, enter measurements (such as heart rate, blood pressure, weight) and keep a medication list (including notifications when medication should be taken). In addition, the application includes questionnaires to assess, for example, patients' knowledge, selfcare, quality of life, physical activity and symptoms. The application allows personalisation per patient depending on the clinical setting and indication. The innovative application will be evaluated in terms of usability, long-term adherence and patient satisfaction.