Heartbeat Health and The American College of Cardiology Join to Revolutionize Cardiology With Breakthrough Virtual Care

NEW YORK, June 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Heartbeat Health, the first telemedicine and virtual care platform built by cardiologists for cardiologists, are joining forces to transform telehealth into comprehensive virtual care by ensuring cardiology practices around the world can incorporate clinical data into virtual patient communications to make real-time, informed clinical care decisions.  

In response to COVID-19, U.S. clinical practices rapidly adopted telehealth as a primary way of providing outpatient care, dramatically reducing or eliminating office presence. Cardiology is different than other care practices in that it requires frequent in-person evaluations and testing; not every specialty or disease process is like this. While telehealth in its simplest form is an exchange between patients and clinicians using audiovisual means; however, true virtual care should include diagnostics, management plans, and therapeutics—all aspects of clinical management without the requirement of physical care.

"To truly transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health, we must incorporate data, remote patient monitoring and outcome tracking in an easy to use format both the patient and the physician can use to inform shared decision-making," said John Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, FACC, ACC Chief Science and Quality Officer and Chief Innovation Officer. "Wearable health monitoring devices have evolved rapidly over the last five to 10 years and are now widely available; COVID-19 is a catalyst to push remote patient monitoring into the virtual care workflow."

"The world is quickly moving away from how medicine was practiced 30 years ago. As we integrate technology and virtual care in every aspect of our patient's heart health, we must also protect the integrity of cardiac care," added Jeff Wessler, MD, Cardiologist, CEO, and Founder of Heartbeat Health. "The ACC guides best practices and has taken a forward-looking interest in digital transformation. There could not be a more appropriate group to set guidelines and help bring our innovative solution into the hands of those practicing cardiology across the country today."

Heartbeat Health offers a virtual cardiovascular management solution where the smartphone is at the core. By combining health risk assessment and device data with a robust telehealth platform, Heartbeat Health more completely connects patients to their clinicians. The results: a tailored treatment plan for patients across all stages of heart and vascular disease and sites of service including the hospital, skilled nursing, cardiac rehabilitation and the home.

Using this platform, ACC and Heartbeat Health are collaborating to deliver a mobile-first, evidence-based platform to all ACC members, which uses patient devices and wearables for seamless patient and provider co-engagement.

Through the Heartbeat Health platform, wireless monitoring devices can stream key metrics in real-time to cloud-based artificial intelligence engines that flag potential health risks, like blood pressure changes or volume status in heart failure, so clinicians can intervene with patients via HIPAA-compliant two-way video before conditions exacerbate. The ACC and Heartbeat collaboration is focused exclusively on cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Complex disease management, like heart disease, requires this real-time data to effectively treat and manage virtually.

"Cardiologists in solo, group, and system practices will be leaders in making health care far more convenient, cost-effective, and outcomes-driven," Wessler said. "We're thrilled to be working with the College, with their 71-year history of continuously transforming the management of cardiovascular disease, to set a new standard for telehealth and specialized virtual care."

For more information on the collaboration and to request access, please visit heartbeathealth.com/acc.

The American College of Cardiology envisions a world where innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes. As the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team, the mission of the College and its 54,000 members is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC bestows credentials upon cardiovascular professionals who meet stringent qualifications and leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College also provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research through its world-renowned JACC Journals, operates national registries to measure and improve care, and offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions. For more, visit acc.org.

Heartbeat Health is a digital heart health company that delivers virtual cardiovascular disease prevention and management with a focus on improved clinical experience, health outcomes, and reduced cost. More than 80% of heart disease deaths are attributable to preventable factors, yet cardiovascular disease remains the costliest and deadliest condition worldwide. Through its proprietary biometric monitoring, virtual cardiovascular management programs, and national network of cardiologists, Heartbeat Health helps patients, providers, and health plans benefit from lower cost and higher value care by reducing cardiovascular disease and the likelihood of future adverse events. Heartbeat Health is headquartered in New York City. Learn more at heartbeathealth.com.

SOURCE Heartbeat Health

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https://www.heartbeathealth.com