Use of a disease-specific mobile health application in the care of adults with congenital heart disease

We completed a pilot study of a novel adult congenital heart disease–specific mobile application. Twenty-eight patients with congenital heart disease from across the US were identified by the Adult Congenital Heart Association, a patient advocacy organization. These patients were asked to complete a 6-month trial of the MyHeartApp mobile application (app), to use the app as part of their clinical care, and to complete a survey at the conclusion of the pilot period. We found that app use is potentially helpful in improving care quality with good ease of use and the potential to facilitate patient-provider communication, but compliance with regular use is poor. Although potentially beneficial, the clinical utility of mobile health apps, even in a young and motivated population, will depend on developing techniques aimed at improving compliance.