Cardiac symptom burden and arrhythmia recurrence drives digital health use: results from the iHEART randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aims: Digital health can transform the management of atrial fibrillation (AF) and enable patients to take a central role in detecting symptoms and self-managing AF. There is a gap in understanding factors that support sustained use of digital health tools for patients with AF. This study identified predictors of Alivecor® KardiaMobile ECG monitor usage among patients with AF enrolled in the iPhone®Helping Evaluate Atrial fibrillation Rhythm through Technology (iHEART) randomized controlled trial.

Methods and results: We analysed data from 105 English and Spanish-speaking adults with AF enrolled in the intervention arm of the iHEART trial. The iHEART intervention included smartphone-based electrocardiogram self-monitoring with Alivecor® KardiaMobile and triweekly text messages for 6 months. The primary outcome was use of Alivecor® categorized as: infrequent (≤5 times/week), moderate (>5 times and ≤11 times/week), and frequent (>11 times/week). We applied multinomial logistic regression modelling to characterize frequency and predictors of use. Of the 105 participants, 25% were female, 75% were White, and 45% were ≥65 years of age. Premature atrial contractions (PACs) [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.23, 1.08-1.40, P = 0.002] predicted frequent as compared to infrequent use. PACs (adjusted OR: 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.30, P = 0.003), lower symptom burden (adjusted OR: 1.06, 1.01-1.11, P = 0.02), and less treatment concern (adjusted OR: 0.96, 0.93-0.99, P = 0.02) predicted moderate as compared to infrequent use.

Conclusions: Frequent use of AliveCor® is associated with AF symptoms and potentially symptomatic cardiac events. Symptom burden and frequency should be measured and incorporated into analyses of future digital health trials for AF management.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Atrial premature complexes; Electrocardiography; Logistic models; Mobile health; Remote monitoring; Risk assessment; Self-management; Smartphone; Text messaging.