The American Heart Association has launched American Heart Association Connected Care™, Powered by Cadence, a virtual care program designed to provide ongoing heart and cardiometabolic care to patients at home after hospital discharge. This initiative addresses the critical challenge of heart failure readmissions, where nearly 1 in 4 patients returns to the hospital within 30 days of discharge according to research published in Circulation: Heart Failure.
The program emerges as healthcare systems face increasing pressure from rising chronic disease rates across the U.S., with the number of people living with chronic illness expected to double from 2020 to 2050. Fewer than 20% of heart failure patients currently receive all four guideline-directed medical therapy pillars post-discharge, despite strong evidence showing these therapies improve patient outcomes, as detailed in another Circulation: Heart Failure study.
John Meiners, chief of mission-aligned businesses at the American Heart Association, stated that the program combines advanced remote patient monitoring technology with the Association's expertise in guideline-directed care and chronic condition management. Hospitals can refer eligible patients to the Connected Care program prior to discharge, with Cadence enrolling patients, teaching them how to use their devices, monitoring vital sign readings, and providing ongoing clinical support.
Chris Altchek, chief executive officer and founder of Cadence, emphasized that the program pairs the American Heart Association's gold-standard scientific guidelines with Cadence's AI-driven remote monitoring and always-on care team. This collaboration aims to make proactive, personalized heart-failure support available anytime, anywhere, addressing hospitals' struggles to extend consistent, evidence-based care once patients leave their facilities.
Dr. Marat Fudim, associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, noted that remote patient monitoring allows clinicians to bridge the gap between hospital discharge and recovery by keeping close watch on patients' health while they're at home. The program currently operates as a pilot at four hospitals: Texas Health Allen in Texas, Rutherford Regional Medical Center in North Carolina, Frye Regional Medical Center in North Carolina, and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California.
This initiative represents a significant advancement in addressing the growing burden of chronic disease management while potentially reducing healthcare costs associated with preventable hospital readmissions. By extending evidence-based care beyond hospital walls, the program could transform how heart failure patients receive ongoing support and management of their condition in their homes and communities.
