A Texas-based cardiologist has launched a multimedia resource, CardioVisual, a free app that makes it easier to explain and comprehend heart conditions and medical procedures. The app is a free download for iOS and Android devices.
The learning tool is being embraced by cardiology practices, hospitals, physicians, and heart patients. CardioVisual fills a critical information gap by giving providers and their patients’ everything one needs to know about heart health from the convenience of a handheld device.
“CardioVisual empowers medical professionals and patients to have more engaged, high-level conversations, aided by videos and interactive visual displays, all from the convenience of a smartphone or tablet,” says Manish Chauhan, MD, FACC, creator of the app, in a release. “Short, curated video-based content provides consistent, repeatable, and trustworthy information to enhance patient understanding and satisfaction while saving time and advancing the quality of care.”
The app’s 100+ professionally produced, patient-friendly videos and interactive illustrations of corrective treatments and devices allow providers to explicitly describe each patient’s heart ailment. Providers can then share edited images with their patients. They can recommend the app to patients to download and learn about medical treatments at their pace. The app uniquely supports better education for patients from their trusted providers and bypasses the need for spending hours on the Internet searching for reliable and relevant information.
Austin, TX heart patient Dan Santema shares how using the app changed his outlook and helped him make an informed medical decision: “My cardiologist repeatedly noted my sleep apnea symptoms. However I was skeptical, mostly because I did not understand what it was all about,” Dan says. “After the doctor played videos demonstrating sleep apnea and its treatment, explained in simple terms, my wife and I saw our fear and hesitation disappear, and were able to accept the diagnosis. A few weeks later, I underwent a sleep study and was confirmed to have sleep apnea. Now, I wear a CPAP at night. Understanding the problem helped me accept its treatment and, possibly, is saving my life while also controlling my blood pressure.”
Jayne King, director of Heart and Vascular Care at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, says, “In a world where people assume technology and access to instant, reliable information, CardioVisual has taken patient education and satisfaction to another level. My patients report less scared and more knowledgeable after watching the app’s videos.”
