Novartis Hosts Competition to Create Novel Mobile Solutions for Heart Failure Caregivers

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Novartis today announced the winners of its Mobile Health (mHealth) Challenge, a competition for developers and mobile technology start-ups to participate in creating mobile solutions that can positively impact the lives of caregivers and their loved ones with heart failure. The intensive two-day Challenge brought individuals and teams together to compete for cash prizes totaling $40,000.

“Patients and physicians are increasingly embracing the benefits of mobile solutions to address health conditions, seek healthcare information and improve overall quality of care.” said André Wyss, U.S. Country Head, President of Novartis Corporation and President of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. “Novartis has been working to advance the treatment of cardiovascular disease for over 50 years. Today we continue our efforts in an area where there is still great unmet need by supporting the development of innovative technology platforms for heart failure patients and their caregivers.”

Heart failure is a significant and growing public health concern,2 substantially impacting quality of life and reducing life expectancy for an estimated 5.1 million Americans.2

It is the leading cause of hospitalization in patients over 65 years of age,3 and is responsible for approximately 57,000 deaths per year in the US.4  The quality of life of patients is often worsened by frequent hospital admissions,2 as nearly 50 percent of patients hospitalized are readmitted for all causes within six months.5 Optimal management of the disease – including medications, daily weight checks and low-salt, low fat diet – is crucial to help alleviate the cost burden and manage patients symptoms.6,7

Caregivers of patients with heart failure often deal with the stress of caregiving which can impact their emotional and physical health.8 Mobile health applications and tools are increasingly available and have the potential to facilitate caregiving outside of traditional healthcare settings; especially in the context of the rising use of smartphones and mobile technologies.

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