Liverpool NHS Team Presents “World-First” Digital Cardiac Rehabilitation Model at the ESC Congress 2025
New data from Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation trust shows significant reduction in heart failure (HF) readmissions, supporting recent NICE guidance for KiActiv®’s digital health innovation.
A pioneering model of care implemented in Liverpool is showcased at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Madrid. With thousands of delegates from across the globe, ESC Congress is the world’s largest cardiovascular congress and a prestigious platform for advancing cardiovascular innovation.
Dr Rajiv Sankaranarayanan, from Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, presented the abstract, highlighting the outcomes of KiActiv®’s digital cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program being offered at discharge from a virtual ward – believed to be a world first.
Early data from the program show a significant reduction in heart failure readmissions, delivering both improved patient outcomes and major cost savings for the healthcare system. The key findings include:
- 63% uptake, which represents a 6-fold increase on standard face-to-face HF CR uptake rates
- 70% completion rate
- Statistically significant reductions in readmissions at 30-day (76% reduction) and 90-day (70% reduction) timepoints between historical control and novel digital HF CR
- 78% of patients improved their everyday physical activity
- 58% of patients improved their QoL
- 74% improved their Mental Wellbeing
- 69% improved their Self-Efficacy
- 71% of patients improved their ability to work
This research aligns closely with a recent announcement from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), underscoring the potential of technology-enabled models to transform treatment for people with heart failure.
Digital rehabilitation is about more than just increasing uptake, improving patient outcomes, and relieving pressure on the NHS – it embodies the three major shifts of the 10 Year Health Plan:
➡️ From hospital to community – delivering rehabilitation outside of hospital settings
➡️ From analogue to digital – harnessing technology to empower personalised self-care
➡️ From sickness to prevention – enabling earlier, more accessible interventions
The abstract was presented during the ESC session “Evolving Strategies in Heart Failure Management” on 29th August 2025 at 11:05am (link to session: https://esc365.escardio.org/esc-congress/sessions/15347-evolving-strategies-in-heart-failure-management)
For media enquiries, please contact: Tommy Parker at tparker@kiactiv.com
The KiActiv® Team
