Millions of funding for tackling heart failure at home Project cardiac care at home provides better monitoring and rehabilitation

Using smart technology at home, such as innovative smartwatches, researchers led by Radboud university medical center aim to improve the care of people with heart failure. More technology at home is intended to prevent hospital admissions through quicker rehabilitation, better heart monitoring, and faster therapy adjustments. The researchers are starting the project with an NWO Perspectief grant of 5.3 million euros.

In the Netherlands, 240,000 people suffer from heart failure, leading to 40,000 hospital admissions annually, with costs estimated at 800 million euros per year. These patients often have poor overall health, slow recovery after hospitalization, and a high risk of readmission.

Researchers from various companies and institutions in the Netherlands, including Erasmus MC and TU/e, led by Dick Thijssen, Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at Radboudumc, will investigate whether they can reduce this large number of hospital admissions. They are receiving a 5.3 million euro grant from NWO Perspectief for this project, CardiacCare@Home.

Smartphone

‘Together with the business sector, we will develop technology that allows us to non-invasively monitor heart function at home’, says Thijssen. ‘Deterioration of heart function begins before a heart failure patient notices progression of symptoms. If we can detect this early, healthcare providers can adjust treatment more quickly, potentially preventing hospital admissions.’ This approach also requires the development of AI, which can efficiently analyze the large amounts of data collected.

In addition, the researchers aim to promote rehabilitation at home. ‘We know that people do better when they receive help in adapting their lifestyle, for example, when these patients increase their physical activity’, explains Thijssen. ‘But not all heart failure patients receive such guidance. Practical issues like travel time and costs often hinder participation in hospital-based rehabilitation. We will investigate the best ways to offer this support at home, possibly through smartphones.’

The project aims to improve patients' quality of life, reduce the workload for hospital staff, and lower the overall healthcare costs for heart patients.

About CardiacCare@Home

The project, led by Dick Thijssen from Radboudumc, involves the following institutions: Erasmus MC, Eindhoven University of Technology, Fontys, Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Maastricht UMC+, Radboudumc, TNO, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Twente, Wageningen University, AIKON, Capri Heart Rehabilitation, Masimo, MiBida, PraxaSense, Unilabs, VGZ, Chronic Care Network, Dutch CardioVascular Alliance, Harteraad, Dutch Heart Foundation, Heart and Vascular-HAG, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, KNGF, Máxima MC Fund, Medicus Online, Medical Spectrum Twente, Netherlands Heart Institute, NHN, NVVC, Pharos, Rijnstate Hospital, 4TU.Health, VSG.

About NWO Perspectief

Perspectief is a program of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK). The Perspectief program challenges researchers to form consortia with businesses, governments, and societal organizations. Together, they work on technological innovations with societal impact and create economic opportunities for the Netherlands.

Project leader Dick Thijssen

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