Information Technology Interventions in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Theory Driven Approach

Coronary heart disease (CHD) afflicts 16.5 million Americans annually and is one of the most prominent causes of death and disability. Lack of access to rehabilitation presents a huge challenge in the management of this disease. In this study, we test the efficacy of a mobile phone-based intervention for home-based cardiac rehabilitation for patients with CHD. Our digital health intervention prototype deployed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys and preprogrammed intervention messages to improve the physical activity performance of CHD patients. Extending control theory and the theory of cognitive dissonance to digital nudges, we formulated hypotheses, that we tested using panel data from eight CHD patients over a period of 91 days. Out analysis showed that EMA surveys independently as well as in conjugation with preprogrammed intervention messages can work as a digital nudge and motivate physical activity among CHD patients. Implications for research and practice are described.