Overview
Our Mission:
To bridge the gap between digital health technologies and clinical practice through research and education by assessing these technologies and wearable devices, providing guidance to patients and health care providers and the community at large.
Ninety percent of Americans are connected to the internet, and 77% of them own a smartphone. These trends have laid the foundation for a digital health revolution to transform healthcare delivery, especially in cardiovascular care. Cardiovascular digital technology products include wearable and/or portable devices and apps used to monitor cardiovascular measurements.
Of issue is a substantial gap between technology advancements and changing behavior, and the expansion of digital health has not been matched by proper testing or oversight. Additionally, this unprecedented acceleration in technology raises the question of our patients’ ability to adapt to these constantly evolving tools used in their daily care. Most importantly, there is an urgent need to understand if these products can change outcomes, rather than simply record data.
Objectives
The objectives of the HVI Center for Digital Health Technologies are to:
- Explore and evaluate cardiovascular digital technology products, including wearable devices, smart phone-enabled devices and apps
- Assess patient adoption of new technology
- Measure acceptance and outcomes of cardiovascular digital technology
- Determine the impact of digital technology on healthcare providers, including changes in clinical care, workflow and the ability to keep up with the pace of technology advancements
- Provide guidance regarding use of devices for patients, healthcare providers and the healthcare system in general
The HVI Center for Digital Health Technologies will connect technology and innovation with testing and research and, most importantly, the clinical experts and patients to improve patient care, safety and experience in the future.
Our Team
The HVTI Center for Digital Health Technologies includes a multidisciplinary team of medical experts who are committed to enhancing digital health in a variety of cardiovascular settings.
- Dennis Bruemmer, MD, PhD – Cardiometabolic Health, Section of Preventive Cardiology
- Michael Emery, MD, MS - Sports Cardiology Center
- Erik Van Iterson, PhD, MS – Preventive Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation
- Wael Jaber, MD – Cardiovascular Imaging
- Deborah Kwon, MD – Cardiovascular Imaging
- Luke Laffin, MD – Preventive Cardiology
- Nicholas Ruthmann, MD - Clinical Cardiology
- Ramzi Souki, MD – Pediatric Cardiology
- Wai Hong Wilson Tang, MD – Heart Failure
Additional experts from a variety of Cleveland Clinic resources including informatics and technology, research and legal departments assist in the evaluation and application of products, providing an atmosphere of innovation and collaboration.
News
- Wearables and the Electrophysiology Practice: Challenges and Opportunities, EPLabDigest, Khaldoun G. Tarakji, MD, MPH, article and podcast, 8/3/2020
- The Rise of Wearables: What Experts Say About Patients, Platforms & Getting Paid by Kathy Boyd David 9/10/2019
- Patients Often Lack Basic Knowledge About Their Implanted Devices by Todd Neale, tctMD/the heart beat, 5/8/2019
- Wearable Health Monitors: Do They Work? Deborah Gage, Wall Street Journal, 9/16/2018
- Smartwatch Device Accurately Detects A-fib Before Cardioversion, Neale T, tctMD, 3/2/2018
- Freed From the iPhone, the Apple Watch Finds a Medical Purpose – Wakabayashi D, The New York Times, 2017-Dec-26
- FDA Clears AliveCor's Apple Watch ECG Device – Kincaid E. Forbes. 2017-Nov-30
- The Apple Watch Is the Most Accurate Wrist Wearable – Oaklander M. Time. 2016-Oct-12
- AliveCor studies show value for atrial fibrillation screening, von Portz, G, iMedicalApps, Medpage Today, 9/12/2017
- Mobile EKG monitor looks to help atrial fibrillation patients, Gorman, A, ABC-WPVI-TV, Philadelphia, PA, 5/1/2017
- You Can Monitor Heart Rhythm With A Smartphone, But Should You? Ross, E, NPR, 10/15/2016
- Wearable health monitors not always reliable, study shows, Weintraub, K, USA Today, 10/12/2016
Consult QD
- Digital Remote Blood Pressure Management: Has Its Time Come? 9/2020
- Virtual Visits for Arrhythmia Patients: Looking Back to Look Forward, 6/10/2020
- Expanding Uses of Blood Pressure Monitoring Technologies Fuel Two New Research Studies, 4/22/2020
- Direct Pacemaker Monitoring Via Smartphone Enables High Rates of Transmission Success, 5/8/2020
- Patients Know Less Than They Think About Their CIEDs, Survey Finds, 1/15/2020
- Study Enrolls First US Patient to Use a Smartphone for Direct Pacemaker Monitoring, 7/25/2018
- Smartwatch Technology Detects Afib Prior to Cardioversion, 03/9/2018
- How Electrophysiologists Are Turning to Tech to Transform Outpatient Care, 8/31/2017
- Virtual Reality: Can It Train You to Do Heart Surgery?, 03/01/2018
Contact
If you would like to learn more about the HVI Center for Digital Health Technologies or collaborate on innovative digital technologies for cardiovascular care, please contact:
Khaldoun Tarakji, MD, MPH
HVI Center for Digital Health Technologies
Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Ave.
Desk J2-2
Cleveland, OH 44195
216.445.9225
