eHealth in patients with congenital heart disease: a review

Dirkjan Kauw, M A C Koole, Jolien R van Dorth, Igor I Tulevski, G Aernout Somsen, Marlies P Schijven, Daan A J Dohmen, Berto J Bouma, Barbara J M Mulder, Mark J Schuuring, Michiel M Winter

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Mobile health (mHealth), an advanced form of eHealth is expected to drastically change the field of traditional healthcare in the near future as wearables and mobile applications are rapidly increasing in number. The majority of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) now reach adulthood and this relative young patient population seems particularly suited for mHealth, as they require lifelong follow-up, experience high morbidity burden, and were raised in this digital era. In patients with acquired heart disease the potential of eHealth has been demonstrated, yet data are still inconclusive. Areas covered: In this review of the current literature we evaluated the effect of various eHealth interventions in patients with CHD. Our search resulted in a mere 10 studies, which comprised mostly of children or adolescents with severe CHD. Home-monitoring of saturation and weight through mHealth was found to be beneficial in patients after palliation procedures, and video conferencing was found to have a positive effect on anxiety and healthcare utilization. Expert commentary: Due to high morbidity and mortality in patients with CHD and the promising results of eHealth interventions, further research is desperately needed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)627-634
Number of pages8
JournalExpert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy
Volume16
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Delivery of Health Care/methods
  • Heart Defects, Congenital/therapy
  • Humans
  • Telemedicine/methods

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'eHealth in patients with congenital heart disease: a review'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this