St. Gallen
29 September 2024
Carity is a medical device declared conform in Switzerland that supports patients after a heart attack or other cardiac events during and after rehabilitation and provides long-term assistance in achieving their training goals. Just in time for World Heart Day, Carity is now available on the Swiss market as a “blended care” solution for rehabilitation clinics and cardiology practices for their patients.
Although exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation plays a crucial role in preventing secondary cardiac events, only 68% of affected patients in Switzerland participate in a rehabilitation program¹. Up to 80% of patients miss their training goals within the first year after completing rehabilitation². These figures highlight the need for new, sustainable solutions.
This is where Carity’s “blended care” solution comes in. By combining individual care with digital support, Carity accompanies patients during rehabilitation and helps them achieve their training goals in everyday life over the long term.
“Carity strengthens patients’ confidence in their hearts, motivates them consistently, and supports them in leading active and self-determined lives beyond the rehabilitation program,” explains Frédéric Gabriel, CEO of Carity.
For medical professionals, Carity creates precise adherence reports, providing a comprehensive overview of the rehabilitation progress of their patients. This enables even more individualized treatment.
Carity has been successfully implemented and tested in various Swiss rehabilitation clinics and heart practices as part of usability studies. A clinical study is also being conducted in collaboration with the University Hospital Zurich, the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, and the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital. The insurance industry has also shown interest: From January 2025, CSS will include the digital offering from Carity in its supplementary insurance. As a result, the myFlex Outpatient Insurance will annually cover a portion of the app’s costs.
For further information and media inquiries, please contact: Ms. Nicole Furrer, Head of Business Development, nicole.furrer@carity.care, www.carity.care.
About Carity
Carity is a Digital Health start-up based in the canton of St. Gallen, with a medical device declared conform in Switzerland for patients in the rehabilitation phase after a cardiac event. Carity enables psychocardiological monitoring of patients through the interplay of wearables and an app. Carity’s intervention aims to increase the motivation and engagement of patients regarding their physical activity in the long term, thereby reducing the risk of secondary cardiac events.
¹ Gonzalez-Salvado et al. Offering, participation and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation programmes in the elderly: a European comparison based on the EU-CaRE multicentre observational study. Eur J Prev Cardiol (2021) 28, 558-568.
² Aamot et al. Long-term Exercise Adherence After High-intensity Interval Training in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Study. Physio Res Int (2015) 21(1), 54-64.
