Heart failure apps

Heart failure apps

  • Heart failure apps can help you improve self-management of your condition by helping you keep track of your symptoms, weight and medicines.
  • It's important to use heart failure apps under the supervision of a healthcare provider so they can guide you on whether the app is suitable for your needs and can direct you to appropriate treatment options for your condition.
  • Find out more about heart failure apps and how to use them safely.
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Using a heart failure app can help you better manage your heart failure by:

  • reminding you to monitor your symptoms, eg, your weight and checking your legs for swelling
  • reminding you to take your medicines 
  • providing information on a low-salt diet
  • reminding you about your healthcare provider appointments
  • providing information on safe exercises.


How to use heart failure apps safely

Do (✔)

  • Always use heart failure apps under the supervision of a healthcare provider so they can guide you on whether the app is suitable for your needs and can direct you to appropriate treatment options for your condition.
  • Use an app to keep track of your symptoms as part of your management plan.
  • Use graphs and reporting for a discussion with your healthcare provider.
  • Be careful when reading information on discussion boards or group chat rooms. Some apps have interactive features where users can share their experiences. Be cautious because in most cases these aren't monitored by a health professional so the advice or suggestions may not be safe or effective.
  • Know when to seek help. Talk to your healthcare provider about a heart failure action plan. Here's an example of a heart failure action plan(external link) from the Heart Foundation NZ. 

Don’t (✘)

  • Rely on apps to make a diagnosis of your condition.
  • Make changes to your medicines based on the recommendations from the app.
  • Use treatments without first seeking medical and professional advice.

Before choosing an app, think about how it will benefit you and what you want it to be able to do.

  • When selecting an app to download, it’s important to consider which features are most important to you.
  • An app will only be helpful if you use it, so it needs to be something you like using and find easy to use.
  • If you find the app difficult to use, or you don't like the imagery or look of it, or the language it uses, you may want to find another one that suits you better.
  • For more guidance on how to choose health apps, see how to choose a health app.

  App name Features Clinical score

Heart Failure Health Storylines app

  • Weight recording.
  • Check swelling.
  • Exercise tracking.
  • Diet logging.
  • Medication reminder.
  • Developed in partnership with the Heart Failure Society of America.
  • Available from Google Play and iTunes
  • Cost: free.
  • Read more about Heart Failure Health Storylines app.
3 star review

H2O Overload app

 


  • Fluid intake tracking.
  • Weight recording.
  • Blood pressure recording.
  • Medication reminder.
  • Created by the National Kidney Foundation (US).
  • Available from Google Play and iTunes.
  • Cost: free.
  • Read more about H2O Overload app.
4 star review

References

The following references relate to articles about apps for heart failure.

  1. Masterson Creber RM, Maurer MS, Reading M, et al. Review and analysis of existing mobile phone apps to support heart failure symptom monitoring and self-care management using the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS)(external link) JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2016;4(2):e74
  2. Cajita MI, Gleason KT, Han H. A systematic review of mHealth-based heart failure interventions(external link) J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2016;31(3):E10–22

Disclaimer: The NZ Health App Library is a free consumer service to help you decide whether a health app would be suitable for you. Our review process is independent. We have no relationship with the app developers or companies and no responsibility for the service they provide. This means that if you have an issue with one of the apps we have reviewed, you will need to contact the app developer or company directly.

Factsheets – using health apps safely

How to choose a health app
Healthify He Puna Waiora, NZ

Credits: Healthify editorial team. Healthify is brought to you by Health Navigator Charitable Trust.