The ACC and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today announced the first-ever industry framework to evaluate and give guidance for consumer devices or applications designed to improve cardiovascular health. CTA and ACC have convened health and technology industry leaders to advance guidance and best practices for cardiovascular health technology developers and companies. The goal of the project is to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease on patients and health care systems – allowing more people to access better cardiovascular care while freeing valuable public health resources.

The framework, Best Practices for Consumer Cardiovascular Technology Solutions, targets the use of Consumer Cardiovascular Technology Solutions for prevention, screening, diagnosis and health management or treatment. This guidance gives health technology companies a framework to manufacture products that allow clinicians to confidently integrate cardiovascular technology into their practices. Consumer Cardiovascular Technology Solutions facilitate ongoing cardiovascular health promotion, disease detection and care management, instead of patients solely relying on intermittent and costly clinical visits.

Practical uses for Consumer Cardiovascular Technology Solutions include:

1. Prevention: Consumer devices can monitor physical activity and heart rate to help promote healthy behaviors and give clinicians insights into the cardiovascular health of their patients. Consumer cardiovascular technology also allows clinicians to potentially identify areas of risk sooner.


2. Screening/Diagnosis: Cardiovascular technology solutions can be used to detect the presence of an irregular rhythm that is potentially atrial fibrillation and prompt the user to confirm the diagnosis with a clinician.


3. Health Management/Treatment:Wearables that can monitor physical activity and heartrate accurately and remotely are useful tools for home-based cardiac rehabilitation (rehab). Leveraging these technologies can help overcome some of the barriers patients face with on-site rehab programs while expanding the breadth and depth of monitoring.

“Health tech companies will be in a better position than ever to improve cardiovascular technology with a roadmap to integration for clinicians and their practices,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA. “Better cardiovascular devices are essential in improving global health and saving lives through stronger preventative care.”

The framework also accounts for the need to protect consumer data rights and privacy. Health technology solutions need to capture comprehensive and privacy sensitive information about their users. But this data can sometimes be aggregated, analyzed, shared or sold in ways that are poorly disclosed or understood. By adhering to industry privacy guidelines, mobile technology developers can ensure that their solutions optimally protect consumers’ privacy, promote trust and mitigate perceived risks about the use and sharing of data.

“Use of digital technologies, including consumer wearables and apps for monitoring heart health, is widespread and has the capability to transform how clinicians work with their patients to treat and prevent heart disease,” said Ritu Thamman, MD, FACC, ACC Innovation Work Group member. “By working with our colleagues on all sides of technology to ensure we are implementing these technologies safely and effectively, we’re helping clinicians use the latest technologies in a way that ensures their patients receive the highest quality care and live better, healthier lives.”

The project is the first collaboration between the ACC and CTA to create best practices for evaluating Consumer Cardiovascular Technology Solutions. CTA is collaborating with the ACC through participation in ACC’s Applied Health Innovation Consortium for the purpose of building a roadmap for Artificial Intelligence and digital technology in cardiology. The Consortium brings together academic, clinical, industry and technology partners and patient advocates to collaborate in the digital transformation of health care.

Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Cardiovascular Care Team, Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Disease, Prevention, Atrial Fibrillation/Supraventricular Arrhythmias, Exercise

Keywords: Cardiology, Exercise, Wearable Electronic Devices, Health Behavior, Health Promotion, Biomedical Technology, Patient Advocacy, Heart Rate, Health Resources, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Atrial Fibrillation, Artificial Intelligence, Global Health, Digital Technology, Innovation

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