Association's Heart360 Health Management Tool Now Easier to Use

DALLAS, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Heart Association's Heart360.org – an online health management system that allows users to track and share their health information with their healthcare provider – has been upgraded with functions that make it easier to use and more robust.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100222/AHSALOGO)

To view the multimedia news release: http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1212

"The updates to Heart360 make it easier for patients and providers to connect and better manage the patient's conditions, so patients receive better care," said Eric Peterson, M.D., M.P.H., an American Heart Association volunteer. He is professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology and the associate vice chair for quality at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

Heart360.org's new features include:

• A Spanish Version – Now users can use English or Spanish versions of Heart360.  Research shows language barriers make Latinos twice as likely to leave the doctor's office with their questions un-asked and/or unanswered. With Heart360 now also in Spanish, the association hopes communications will improve between patients and providers.  
• Reminders and expanded usability – Users can sign up for reminders to be delivered directly to their mobile phone via text message (i.e., blood pressure, weight, medication, physical activity, blood glucose, cholesterol). With this new feature, patients can even respond to the Heart360 reminder to input the health information they'd like uploaded to their Heart360 account directly from their mobile phone.
• Integration – The association's My Life Check assessment at heart.org/MyLifeCheck is integrated with Heart360.org. Users can get their heart-health score, understand their health risks, and work on their personal action plan to improve their health by tracking progress on Heart360.
• New 'Guide Me' tool – Users can view demonstration to learn how to set up their account and use Heart360's features and functions.

In addition, Heart360 offers an easy-to-use provider portal where healthcare providers can directly connect with their patients to monitor and assist them to improve their health. The provider portal includes patient management tools such as:

• Direct access to patient-reported data.
• Patient grouping – setting manual or automated groups to determine patient categories, management lists and more.
• Alerts and notifications – the ability to set alerts based on key health criteria to notify the provider or other designated person when a patient needs more attention.
• Messaging directly with patients in a secure environment.
• Easy-to-use patient invitations via email or print options.
• Reporting and printing functions to provide practice-based outcomes understanding and individual patient documentation wherever needed.

Heart360 does more than track information. It educates patients about their condition with targeted relevant educational content, tools and resources. Users gain a better understanding of their current health information and are guided to a more specific action plan suited to their current health needs.

To learn more about Heart360 visit www.Heart360.org.

You're invited to participate in a Twitter party with Heart360 Thursday, Dec. 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Eric Peterson, M.D., M.P.H., American Heart Association volunteer will be tweeting from www.twitter.com/hearthub with Alison Rhodes a family safety and wellness expert. Get your health and wellness questions answered while learning about the new features Heart360 provides. Hash tag: #Heart360

Heart360 connects to Microsoft HealthVault, a personal health application platform that provides a privacy- and security-enhanced foundation that's used by a broad range of providers to advance health and wellness.

About the American Heart Association  

The American Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. Our goal is to build healthier lives by preventing, treating and defeating these diseases – America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit www.heart.org.

SOURCE American Heart Association