Gerontechnologies for Older Patients with Heart Failure: What is the Role of Smartphones, Tablets, and Remote Monitoring
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ELDERLY + HEART DISEASE (K. DHARMARAJAN, SECTION EDITOR)
Gerontechnologies for Older Patients with Heart Failure: What is the Role of Smartphones, Tablets, and Remote Monitoring Devices in Improving Symptom Monitoring and Self-Care Management? Ruth M. Masterson Creber 1 & Kathleen T. Hickey 1,2 & Mathew S. Maurer 2,3
# Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract Older adults with heart failure have multiple chronic conditions and a large number and range of symptoms. A fundamental component of heart failure self-care management is regular symptom monitoring. Symptom monitoring can be facilitated by cost-effective, easily accessible technologies that are integrated into patients’ lives. Technologies that are tailored to older adults by incorporating gerontological design principles are called gerontechnologies. Gerontechnology is an interdisciplinary academic and professional field that combines gerontology and technology with the goals of improving prevention, care, and enhancing the quality of life for older adults. The purpose of this article is to discuss the role of gerontechnologies, specifically the use of mobile applications available on smartphones and tablets as well as remote monitoring systems, for outpatient disease management among older adults with heart failure. While largely unproven, these rapidly developing technologies have great potential to improve outcomes among older persons. This article is part of the Topical Collection on Elderly and Heart Disease * Ruth M. Masterson Creber [email protected] Kathleen T. Hickey [email protected] 1
Columbia University, School of Nursing, New York, NY, USA
2
Division of Cardiology, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
3
College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Keywords Aging . Cardiology . Gerontology . Tablets . Gerontechnology . Older adults . Mobile phone . Mobile applications
Introduction Heart failure currently affects 5.7 million Americans [1] and is a leading cause of hospital admissions and 30-day readmissions [2–6]. Heart failure is also the fastest growing cardiovascular condition in the USA [7], largely due to an aging population and improved survival after myocardial infarction [8]. As such, heart failure is a large public health concern. The management of heart failure is often complicated by the presence of multiple chronic conditions that share common symptoms, including edema, fatigue, exercise intolerance, and shortness of breath. These symptoms are regularly present, even after a hospitalization, when more than 40 % of patients report no improvement in dyspnea, anxiety, fatigue, and pain [9]. Major clinical guidelines recommend the inclusion of symptom monitoring as part of routine self-care management of patients with heart failure [10]. This can be challenging because symptom changes can be so insidious that patients have difficulty recognizing and responding to them, as well as differentiating them from symptoms of other chronic conditions in
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