ACC App Review: TreatHF App

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Purpose: The purpose of ACC's TreatHF app is to aid clinicians with heart failure management of patients with symptomatic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (stage C HFrEF).

The app was developed by a multidisciplinary work group part of ACC's Succeed in Managing Heart Failure Initiative.

The app starts by asking the user to select the patient's New York Heart Association classification and ejection fraction. Then the user is prompted to list the patient's background medications such as ACEi, beta blocker and diuretics.

Specific follow-up questions arise depending on what current regimen of heart failure medications the patient is already on. For example, the user may be asked if there are any contraindications to sacubitril (it even provides a link to the contraindications) or if the beta blocker dose is maxed out and heart rate remains 70 bpm or more.

After answering these initial questions, the user is prompted to provide more information on the patient's heart rhythm pattern, renal function, ethnicity and age to better curtail therapy advice.

No identifiable patient information is stored on the app, and patient privacy is maintained.

Cost: Free.

Size: 5 MB on Android and 11MB on iOS.

Compatibility: The app is available from the iTunes or Google Play app stores. If downloading from iTunes, the app requires iOS 9.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. If downloading from Google Play, the app requires an Android 4.1 and up.

Target Audience: The intended target audience for this app is cardiologists and other clinicians such as internal medicine physicians that care for patients with stage C HFrEF.

Neat feature: The app attempts to provide individualized guidance in the next steps of medical therapy for patients with stage C HFrEF. It bases its guidance on the:

Comparable Apps: There are no other apps in the iTunes or Google Play stores comparable to this app.

Visit ACC.org/Apps to download this app and learn more about ACC's full suite of clinical mobile apps.

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This article was authored by Fabio V. Lima, MD, MPH, Fellow in Training (FIT) at Brown University in Providence, RI.