A review and promise of digital health technologies to promote global cardiovascular health

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• Effect Size: Not quantified - narrative synthesis only

• Primary Outcome: Low adoption of digital health technologies in clinical cardiovascular care settings despite extensive empirical evidence

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Not applicable - implementation barriers and facilitators identified rather than clinical effectiveness measures

Clinical Application

Implementation challenges identified including low clinical adoption rates, requiring systematic barrier mitigation strategies Highly relevant to Australian cardiovascular nursing practice, aligns with TGA digital health regulations and potential PBS digital health initiatives Cardiovascular patients globally, with particular relevance to nursing practice across all healthcare settings

Abstract

Digital health technologies include an array of mobile or digital devices and apps that may be used by patients to support lifestyle modification or medical apps that monitor vital parameters and provide data that may influence treatment decisions. The use of digital health technologies is a growing opportunity for disease prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for both patients to engage in self-management as well as nurses to monitor patients remotely and facilitate clinical decision support. The aims of this review article are to provide an overview of pertinent digital health technologies in CVD care, address social determinants of health and other enablers/barriers to digital health implementation, and provide perspectives on novel models of care incorporating digital technologies. Based on the latest evidence, recommendations for special considerations and implementation of digital health technologies in low- and middle- vs high-income countries are presented. In addition, tables reviewing functionality of the digital tools and global examples of their use are provided. Extensive empirical evidence from diverse populations suggests adoption of these innovative tools has been low in clinical settings. We provide a table summarizing these barriers and include the facilitators that can improve the adoption of digital health tools to improve behavioral lifestyle modification. For learning purpose, implementation of an innovative model of care is illustrated graphically and in text. We include a call to action to achieve the maximum impact of digital technology to support nurses who work in almost all settings improving CVD prevention and management globally. The multiple roles of nurses using digital health for global CVD prevention and management are discussed in the settings of clinical practice, research, education, public health, health policy/leadership, and informatics.

References

1. 1.Park, L. G., Kariuki, J. K., Hendriks, J. M., Gallagher, R., & Burke, L. E. (2026). A review and promise of digital health technologies to promote global cardiovascular health. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjcn/zvaf242