Mobile Health Intervention Does Not Augment Cardiac Rehab

THURSDAY, Sept. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), a mobile health (mHealth) intervention seems not to improve six-month outcomes in terms of physical activity levels, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in npj Digital Medicine.

Jessica R. Golbus, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial involving low- and moderate-risk patients with a compatible smartphone enrolled in CR at two health systems. Intervention participants received an mHealth intervention, including a text message just-in-time-adaptive intervention. The change in remote six-minute walk distance at six months was the primary outcome, stratified by device type. Results were reported for 220 participants enrolled in the study.

The researchers found that for the primary outcome, no significant difference was seen in the change in six-minute walk distance across smartwatch types (+31.1 m and −7.4 m for Apple Watch and Fitbit, respectively). Between the first and final weeks of the study, there was no difference noted in mean step counts, but a change in six-minute walk distance was seen for Fitbit users at three months.

"Overall, this study suggests that the intervention did not have a long-term impact on physical activity that was sustained over time but may have intermediate or potentially device-specific effects," Golbus said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed study-related patents and ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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