The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new conditional guidance on the use of digital platforms to support cardiac rehabilitation for adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The guidance was developed after careful consideration of the available evidence, including input from patient organisations such as Cardiomyopathy UK. It includes recommendations to guide clinical decision-making, prepared by an independent committee made up of healthcare professionals, patient representatives, academic and clinical experts, and health technology specialists. While the implementation of NICE guidance isn’t mandatory, it sets a benchmark for best practice.
The guidance means that seven digital platforms – Activate Your Heart, D REACH-HF, Digital Heart Manual, Gro Health HeartBuddy, KiActiv, myHeart, and Pumping Marvellous Cardiac Rehab Platform – can be offered as options to people with CVD within the NHS in England, following a full clinical assessment to make sure they are suitable for the individual. The NICE guidance is clear that people with CVD should always still be given the option to do conventional cardiac rehabilitation.
Supporting people with cardiomyopathy
Through our patient community, we know that people with cardiomyopathy often face difficulties accessing cardiac rehabilitation. This new guidance means that more people with CVD should be given the opportunity to use these digital platforms. This may allow them to manage their care at a time and place that suits them, avoiding potentially long travel times to clinics, while still receiving support from their cardiac rehabilitation team.
These digital platforms differ in how they are delivered (via website or app), the elements of cardiac rehabilitation they offer, their target patient group, programme length, and the level of support provided by healthcare professionals. However, they typically include most or all of the standard components of conventional cardiac rehabilitation.
KiActiv is one of the platforms that can be used by people with cardiomyopathy. It is app- and web-based and includes a wearable device that collects and processes physical activity data, helping users create personalised cardiac rehabilitation programmes.
Maria Glover, President of the British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation (BACPR), said:
“Digital health offers an important opportunity to widen access to high-quality cardiac rehabilitation, particularly for people who may otherwise struggle to engage with traditional services. Used appropriately, digital platforms can complement established programmes, support personalised care, and help ensure more people benefit from evidence-based cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation.”
If you are interested in using a digital platform as part of your cardiac rehabilitation, please contact your heart failure or cardiac rehabilitation team to discuss possible options. However, please be aware that not all seven platforms will be provided in every area, as availability depends on your local NHS trust.
You can also speak to our specialist nurse team for general advice and support about cardiomyopathy.
Next steps and ongoing evaluation
The digital platforms will be available for use until December 2028, during a three-year evidence generation period. Over this time, NICE will continue to collect information about each technology to determine whether these platforms should be routinely adopted across the NHS in England longer-term.
You can read the new NICE guidance here.