American Heart Association Launches Virtual Care Program to Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions

With chronic disease rates rising across the U.S., healthcare systems face ongoing challenges in reducing hospital stays and readmissions. Nearly 1 in 4 heart failure patients is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, and fewer than 20% receive all four guideline-directed medical therapy pillars post-discharge, despite strong evidence showing these therapies improve patient outcomes. At the same time, the number of people living with chronic illness is expected to double from 2020 to 2050.

Remote patient care fills a critical gap, offering a scalable way to support the most vulnerable patients, improving adherence to evidence-based care and reducing avoidable hospitalizations, no matter the geographical location. To help close critical gaps in heart failure care, the American Heart Association has developed American Heart Association Connected Care™, Powered by Cadence, a virtual care program that delivers ongoing heart and cardiometabolic care to patients at home after their hospital stay.

Hospitals can refer eligible patients to the Connected Care program prior to discharge. The Association is working with participating hospitals to integrate the program into discharge workflows. Cadence enrolls patients in the program, teaching them how to use their devices, monitoring vital sign readings and providing ongoing clinical support. John Meiners, chief of mission-aligned businesses at the American Heart Association, stated that by combining advanced remote patient monitoring technology with expertise in guideline-directed care and chronic condition management, they can help extend the high-quality care hospitals provide, ensuring people with heart failure receive proactive, timely support at home when they need it most.

The Association spearheaded this collaboration with Cadence to extend the reach of its trusted science into homes and communities, utilizing Cadence's remote platform and 24/7 virtual provider group. Chris Altchek, chief executive officer and founder of Cadence, noted that hospitals struggle to extend consistent, evidence-based care once patients leave their doors. By pairing the American Heart Association's gold-standard scientific guidelines with Cadence's AI-driven remote monitoring and always-on care team, the program makes proactive, personalized heart-failure support available anytime, anywhere.

American Heart Association Connected Care aims to reduce 30-day readmissions for people with heart failure by providing peace of mind and timely interventions for patients and their families, support heart failure patients from hospital admission through safe discharge and recovery at home, and bring care to more communities by delivering personalized support beyond hospital walls. Research published in Circulation: Heart Failure has documented trends in 30- and 90-day readmission rates for heart failure, highlighting the significance of this initiative.

Marat Fudim, M.D., MHS, associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and heart failure cardiologist at the Duke University Medical Center, emphasized that with timely interventions and evidence-based support, remote patient monitoring allows healthcare providers to bridge the gap by keeping a close eye on patients' health while they're at home, avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and achieving better long-term outcomes. Rooted in a century of innovative scientific breakthroughs, trusted clinical guidelines and science-backed educational content, Connected Care offers patients timely, remote care and support to help them adhere to treatment plans, adopt heart-healthy habits and avoid preventable readmissions.

The Connected Care pilot program is currently underway at four hospitals: Texas Health Allen, Texas Health Resources in Allen, Texas; Rutherford Regional Medical Center, Lifepoint Health in Rutherfordton, N.C.; Frye Regional Medical Center, Lifepoint Health in Hickory, N.C.; and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Montage Health in Monterey, Calif. This initiative represents a significant step forward in addressing the growing challenge of chronic disease management and reducing the burden on healthcare systems while improving patient outcomes through technology-enabled care delivery.