Design and Development of the MedFit App: A Mobile Application for Cardiovascular Disease Rehabilitation

Abstract

Rehabilitation from cardiovascular disease (CVD) usually requires lifestyle changes, especially an increase in exercise and physical activity. However uptake and adherence to exercise is low for community based programmes. We propose a mobile application that allows users to choose the type of exercise and compete it at a convenient time in the comfort of their own home. Grounded in a behaviour change framework, the application provides feedback and encouragement to continue exercising and to improve on previous results. The application also utilizes wearable wireless technologies in order to provide highly personalized feedback. The application can accurately detect if a specific exercise is being done, and count the associated number of repetitions utilizing accelerometer or gyroscope signalsMachine learning models are employed to recognize individual local muscular endurance (LME) exercises, achieving overall accuracy of more than 98%. This technology allows providing a near real-time personalized feedback which mimics the feedback that the user might expect from an instructor. This is proved to motivate users to continue the recovery process.

Toward the Value Sensitive Design of eHealth Technologies to Support Self-management of Cardiovascular Diseases: Content Analysis

“…Each form received related to a different technology; therefore, input was received for 6 of the 10 reviewed technologies: Engage [ 27 ], HeartMapp [ 28 , 32 , 33 ], HOME BP [ 34 - 38 ], PATHway [ 39 , 40 ], SMART-PSMS [ 41 - 46 ], and SUPPORT-HF [ 47 - 50 ]. For the remaining technologies, the authors either declined the invitation or did not respond after several reminders: MedFit [ 51 - 53 ], MyHeart [ 54 - 56 ], SMASH [ 57 - 62 ], and Mock-Up by Baek et al [ 63 ].…”

“…In contrast, other values connected with only a minority of the reviewed eHealth technologies. For instance, only 3 of 10 technologies were connected with the patient value of “receiving social support”: PATHway [ 40 ], MedFit [ 51 - 53 ], and HOME BP [ 34 - 38 ]. Likewise, only 3 different technologies were connected with the patient value of “not feeling fear, anxiousness, or insecurity about health”: SMASH [ 57 , 61 ], HOME BP [ 34 - 38 ], and SUPPORT-HF [ 47 , 49 ].…”

“…Behavioral performance support: Features that provide information, guidance, or support for the actual performance of health maintenance behaviors (eg, the “exercise” feature of MedFit [ 51 - 53 ]), for instance, an animated deep breathing practice or a list of guided exercise classes; the features can include real-time feedback or self-evaluation options (eg, rating performance or intensity).…”

“…As an example, the “optional lifestyle changes” educational feature of HOME BP allows patients to personally request additional content [ 34 - 38 ]. Alternatively, the “exercise” feature of MedFit automatically updates the list of guided exercise classes based on the evaluation of classes performed earlier [ 51 - 53 ]. Outstandingly, 2 overarching system personalization features connected with this value.…”

Rehabilitation of athletes following cardiovascular events

“…The load is considered incorrect if it causes an attack of angina, shortness of breath, arrhythmia, slow recovery of the pulse rate to the previous value, an abrupt increase in blood pressure, significant weakness, skin pallor or cyanosis (Prabhu 2018). An electrocardiogram shows rhythm disturbance and signs of myocardial hypoxia (Craig et al 2000).…”