Hospital leverages mobile platform for cardiac rehab patients‏

South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth, Mass., in conjunction with Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, conducted a pilot clinical trial using Boston-based Wellframe's mobile platform, resulting in a significant increase in patient retention and compliance with cardiac rehabilitation care plans, according to a company announcement.

Ultimately, the goal is to reduce readmission rates and increase quality of care. 

As a result, the Wellframe Mobile Platform for Care Management and Patient Engagement has been integrated into the cardiac rehabilitation program at South Shore Hospital, the largest independently operated hospital in Eastern Massachusetts, and is being utilized by clinicians to extend services to cardiac rehab patients in between visits. Though evidence indicates that these kinds of programs have reduced the risk of five-year all-cause mortality by more than 25 percent, the company reports that nationally less than 25 percent of the two million patients that are eligible for cardiac rehab actually participate.

South Shore Hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program, which recently earned national certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, is designed for those who have experienced a cardiac event or those with heart disease. The four-phase program includes a recovery plan, education, lifestyle modifications and gradual integration of exercise maintenance. 

All the data collected from patients' interactions with their care plans is analyzed in real time and then displayed on a bespoke care management dashboard for clinicians. In addition, the Wellframe platform allows HIPAA-compliant two-way messaging on top of a care plan which, according to the company, is "clinically proven to amplify therapeutic relationships and drive engagement."

Besides cardiac rehab, Wellframe has expanded its clinical program offerings into numerous other clinical conditions including congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes and mental illness, among others. 

Last October, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded $2.2 million in contracts to Boston-based mHealth startup QMedic to "create next-generation passive sensing and self-report tools to enhance clinical interventions for at-risk patients." The Small Business Innovation Research contracts, funded by NCI, the National Institutes of Health and Department of Health and Human Services, are being used by QMedic to launch a three-year clinical partnership with Northwestern University's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center (RHLCCC) and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), which will focus on delivering mHealth interventions to cancer rehabilitation patients in remote locations.   

To learn more:
- read the announcement