Monitoring and intervening travel behavior of CVD patients (R-9960)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients are required to attain certain amount of physical activity level in order to achieve specific disease management targets. Despite of the importance of Physical Activity (PA) in the reduced mortality rate by CVDs the non-adherence to the recommended level of PA residues. This research targets this issue by a novel approach and identifies a large potential of achieving partial/full PA in the daily displacements of the patients. In order to achieve the health benefits of active travel behaviour, this study proposes a digital framework CTASS (Cardiac Travel Advice Support System) to support the increase in PA level through the travel behavior of Ischemic Heart Disease patients. The travel behavior (location, trips purpose, trip start and end time, transportation mode and travel partner, trip distance) of the CVD patients is monitored using the smartphone app. The data from the daily activity schedules is analysed semi-automatically by the CTASS. This framework also offers an intervention plan in which the CVD patients are persuaded to enhance their travel related PA level in their routine activity schedule by increasing walking and cycling trips. By exploiting behavioural change theories and combining with the objective measure of physical activity, patients are classified according to their attitude towards active travel behavior. Based on this analysis the doctor can provide a treatment that is personalized to the specific contexts of the patient. Patients are supported in increasing their travel-related physical activity and practitioners can detect non-adherence to the therapy.

Keywords:Travel behaviour

Disciplines:Cardiology, Health and community services