A new digital application aimed at improving early initiation of CVD prevention strategies is currently being tested in Ireland.

The Intercept application (I-App) directly responds to the need for early initiation of prevention following a cardiac event and is designed to be introduced to the patient at the time of their acute hospitalisation and before discharge.

The main objective of I-App is to support and motivate patients to achieve a healthy lifestyle, manage CVD risk factors, and improve adherence with cardio-protective medications.

Designed as a self-management tool, I-App includes a web-based, healthcare professional portal and a smartphone app, which integrates with a fitness wearable and blood pressure monitor. 

To maximise the acceptance and effectiveness of Intercept, a person-centred, co-design approach to its development was adopted. Developed over an 18-month period, the core project team included: healthcare professionals; software developers; and patients from the Croí heart and stroke charity’s public and patient advisory panel.

The components of Intercept include: tailored goal-setting to motivate and support healthy lifestyle changes; a health tracker to support self-monitoring of physical activity, mood, healthy eating, medications, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels; educational resources to increase knowledge and awareness of healthy lifestyle changes and adherence with cardio-protective medications and notifications to prompt engagement with the app.

The healthcare professional portal component of I-App is designed to support remote monitoring and communication with patients. Through informed consent, a CVD nurse specialist monitors patient engagement with the I-App through the portal dashboard. This data includes tracking of lifestyle and medical risk factors, goal-setting and use of medication reminders. 

Given the strong focus of the I-App in supporting and changing health behaviours, its development has been informed by social cognitive theory and select behaviour change techniques.

The app was designed through key health stakeholders, including patients, and software developers at Citrus Suite in Liverpool. Led by Irene Gibson and Prof Catriona Jennings of NIPC, a feasibility study at Galway University Hospital to evaluate I-App’s real-world effectiveness has just been completed and it is planned to publish the results shortly.