Refer your patients to MyHeart MyLife
A support program for your patients living with coronary heart disease
Our new MyHeart MyLife digital patient support program is designed to meet the needs of more patients with coronary heart disease and their carers. MyHeart MyLife complements the expert clinical care you provide, by empowering patients to understand their condition and to be an active participant in their health care.
How does it work?
Refer your patients to myheartmylife.org.au to join the free program.
Patients register with their contact details and answer questions about themselves so we can tailor their support.
Patients receive evidence-based information and practical tips via online content, emails and text messages over 12 weeks.
How does MyHeart MyLife complement clinical care?
Our Chief Medical Advisor Professor Garry Jennings describes how the program bridges the gap between hospital, primary care and cardiac rehabilitation
How can MyHeart MyLife support your patients?
Hear from cardiologist Professor Raj Puranik and Rowena, a heart event survivor, about how MyHeart MyLife supports patients to better heart health.
What does MyHeart MyLife cover?
Why has the program changed?
We have undertaken a comprehensive process to understand the current needs of Australians living with coronary heart disease and their carers. This process involved in-depth literature reviews, qualitative interviews with patients, carers and healthcare professionals and an analysis of findings from the pilot program evaluation.
With the needs of patients at the forefront, the Heart Foundation has redesigned the MyHeart MyLife patient support program. Information and support are delivered via digital journeys tailored to a person’s time since diagnosis, geographic location and whether they identify as a carer.
With the program now predominantly an online offering, we can provide more people with the support they need, tailor the program in a way that better compliments an individual’s temporal journey of recovery and expand the program even further in the future.
The program is now better able to meet the needs of Australians living with heart disease, whether that be the practicalities of wound care and medicines management immediately after hospital discharge, to knowing where to turn for mental health support.
Support your patients to live well with coronary heart disease by referring them to the MyHeart MyLife patient support program today.
Why refer your patients?
|
Complements clinical care MyHeart MyLife provides easy-to-digest information to help your patients understand and actively participate in their care – from taking their medicines to forming heart-healthy habits. |
|
Provides tailored and evidence-based information Whether your patient has been recently diagnosed or has been living with coronary heart disease for some time, we have information and advice for wherever they are on their heart health journey. |
|
Offers peer support Peer support can improve the psychosocial health and wellbeing of patients with heart disease. By joining MyHeart MyLife, patients have access to a safe online community, moderated by the Heart Foundation, where they can connect with others on a similar journey. |
|
Supports mental health and wellbeing It’s common for people to experience anxiety, depression or stress after a heart disease diagnosis. The MyHeart MyLife program provides mental health and wellbeing information and signposts to specialist services. |
|
Provides resources for patients living in rural and remote Australia If you are a healthcare professional working in rural or remote Australia, we have tailored patient resources that address the unique challenges of living with coronary heart disease in these regions. |
I really encourage any of my patients with heart disease to complete the MyHeart MyLife program because it gives them week by week support and the tools that they need to take charge of their health.
Dr Melinda Sullivan-Bunt
General Practitioner
Patient resources
We’ve developed a range of resources to help you start a conversation about MyHeart MyLife with your patients. Download copies or place an order on the Heart Foundation Shop.
Order resources from the Heartshop
Resources for rural and remote communities
Are you a healthcare professional working in a rural or remote area? The following resources are designed to complement and support your patient education.
Downloadable resources
Share these translated action plans with your patients:
Video resources
Acknowledgements
The Heart Foundation would like to acknowledge and thank the many people and organisations that have contributed to the design and development of the digital MyHeart MyLife program, including patients, carers and healthcare professionals across the country, our Consumer Advisory Group members, and our digital agency Endava.
|
We would like to particularly acknowledge the foundational work of Prof Clara Chow and her research team at Westmead Applied Research Centre from which evidence-based behaviour change strategies have been adapted for the MyHeart MyLife program. |
We would also like to acknowledge and thank all of those involved in the research, pilot program and needs assessment that informed the design of the MyHeart MyLife program:
The Tobacco, Exercise and Diet Messages (TEXT ME) trial
Chow CK, Redfern J, Hillis GS, et al. Effect of Lifestyle-Focused Text Messaging on Risk Factor Modification in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2015;314(12):1255–1263. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.10945
The MyHeart MyLife Pilot evaluation
Kazi S, Truesdale C, Ryan P, Wiesner G, Jennings G, Chow C. Initial Implementation of the My Heart, My Life Program by the National Heart Foundation of Australia: Pilot Mixed Methods Evaluation Study. JMIR Cardio. 2023 Oct 5;7:e43889. doi: 10.2196/43889. PMID: 37796544; PMCID: PMC10587802.
Literature review: Information needs and communication strategies for people with coronary heart disease: a scoping review
Zwack CC, Smith C, Poulsen V, Raffoul N, Redfern J. Information Needs and Communication Strategies for People with Coronary Heart Disease: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 17;20(3):1723. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20031723. PMID: 36767091; PMCID: PMC9914653.
MyHeart MyLife program – qualitative consumer research
Conducted by Heartward Strategic, 2022
This program was developed with partial funding received from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
This program was developed with partial funding received from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
You might also be interested in...
Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) clinical guidelines
Guidelines for acute coronary syndromes for clinical care of patients presenting with suspected or confirmed ACS.
Find a cardiac rehabilitation service near you
Cardiac rehabilitation helps your recovery after a heart procedure or the diagnosis of a heart condition. It also helps lower your chances of having heart problems in the future.
For professionals: Online education and training
Online courses for health professionals focused on improving cardiovascular care.
Last updated05 August 2024