The Smartphone Application, Developed in Partnership with AT&T, is Ranked Number 7 Overall Among Apps for Coronary Heart Disease 

HOUSTON, TX – Texas Heart Institute today announced that its mobile smartphone application has been ranked seventh overall in a new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, open access journal published online by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI).

The new study ranked mobile health applications for coronary heart disease (CHD) available in European app stores and scored them on a scale of 1 (inadequate) to 5 (excellent). The THI application received a 3.75 overall score. The rankings were based on four categories:

Engagement: Five subcategory items: entertainment, interest, individual adaptability, interactivity, target group

Functionality: Four subcategory items: performance, usability, navigation, gestural design

Aesthetics: Three subcategory items: layout, graphics, visual appeal

Information Quality: Seven subcategory items: accuracy of app description, goals, quality of information, quantity of information, quality of visual information, credibility, evidence base

Launched in September of 2019, the Texas Heart Institute smartphone application was a collaboration between THI and AT&T Consulting, a subsidiary of AT&T Business. Recognizing an evolving landscape of how medical knowledge is sought and consumed around the world, THI identified the necessity to expand its digital footprint for its global audience and provide an additional web-based access point to its cutting-edge heart research, educational resources, and personalized cardiovascular tools. The app boasts four primary sections: Clinical Research, My Heart Health, Women’s Heart Health, and THI Today.

“The MDPI study ranking further reinforces Texas Heart Institute’s commitment to providing comprehensive heart health information to the local Houston community and beyond in an easily digestible digital package that is always at individuals’ fingertips,” noted Texas Heart Institute President and CEO Dr. Joseph Rogers. He added, “The free mobile app is another tool in the proverbial toolkit for keeping individuals up to date on heart health news and allows them to keep tabs on their personal heart health at all times. The cardiovascular system is very complex, but THI strives to keep its information clear, concise, and understandable for all people; the mobile app is no exception, as evidenced by its grade in the newly published study in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, a well-respected publication.”

The Texas Heart Institute app is available as a free download in the App Store for iOS devices and iPads.

The app is available in English and Spanish to reflect the diverse audience of cardiovascular patients and communities in need of heart health education.

“Our app ranked number seven out of over 3,000 coronary heart disease mobile health applications identified. Further, the Texas Heart Institute is one of the few nonprofit entities with an app included in the list, which adds to its unique standing in the study’s findings and within the broader CHD mobile health app marketplace,” Dr. Stephanie Coulter, THI Assistant Medical Director.

Mack C, Terhorst Y, Stephan M, Baumeister H, Stach M, Messner E-M, Bengel J, Sander LB. “Help in a Heartbeat?”: A Systematic Evaluation of Mobile Health Applications (Apps) for Coronary Heart Disease. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(19):10323. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910323

 

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ABOUT TEXAS HEART INSTITUTE (THI)

The Texas Heart Institute, founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative and progressive programs in research, education, and improved patient care. THI’s scientists and physicians conduct fundamental biomedical, translational, and clinical research in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, molecular-based medicine, stem cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine both independently and in collaboration with organizations worldwide. As global leaders of patient care for nearly six decades, Texas Heart Institute has been ranked among the top cardiovascular centers in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for the past 30 years. THI is dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing updates on ways to prevent, treat and defeat cardiovascular disease. With over 10 million visitors coming to its website from around the world every year, www.texasheart.org is just one of the ways THI is helping to educate people on the importance of heart health. For more information, please visit https://www.texasheart.org