Loving Your Heart in the Digital Age: Why Telemedicine is the New Beat of Heart Health

By Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD, Kristina Wait, Med and Christina Coleman, MSPA, MPH on

Image of heart shape with EKG inside it

February is more than just a month of roses and chocolate. While the world celebrates Valentine’s Day with paper hearts and grand gestures, the American Heart Association (the Association) uses this time to spotlight a different kind of love: the lifelong commitment to your cardiovascular health. As technology evolves, our ability to care for our hearts is no longer confined to the four walls of a doctor's office.

The New Pulse of Care: Why Telemedicine Matters

For many, the biggest barrier to heart health isn't a lack of will; it's a lack of access. Telemedicine bridges the gap, offering a lifeline to those in rural areas or those with demanding schedules.

  • Continuous Monitoring: Gone are the days of "snapshot" health. With wearable devices and remote monitoring, your care team can see your heart’s performance in real-time, catching potential issues before they become emergencies.
  • Managing Chronic Conditions: For those living with heart failure or hypertension, virtual check-ins mean fewer hospital visits and more consistent management of medications and vitals.
  • Health Equity: Telemedicine helps level the playing field, providing specialized cardiac expertise to underserved communities that might otherwise lack a local specialist.

The American Heart Association’s Vision: Technology with a Heart

The American Heart Association has been a vocal advocate for the integration of digital health. Their efforts aren't just about technology; they’re about the people the technology serves.

  1. Certification & Standards: The Association recently launched the Certified Professional by the American Heart Association (CPAHA) in Telehealth. This ensures that when you see a doctor virtually, you’re receiving care backed by the highest scientific standards.
  2. Policy Advocacy: The Association is actively working to ensure that telemedicine remains accessible and reimbursable, fighting for permanent policies that keep virtual care a staple of the American healthcare system.

  3. Digital Innovation and Education: Through their Center for Telehealth, the Association provides clinicians with the tools and training needed to master virtual care, ensuring the "human touch" isn't lost in the digital transition

    Telecardiology CE Spotlight: Buy Advanced, Get Basics Free!
    In honor of Heart Month, the Center for Telehealth is offering a special opportunity to strengthen cardiovascular care skills. Telecardiology plays a vital role in real time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and timely intervention—and now, care teams can build their expertise more easily than ever.

    For the month of February, when you purchase the Telecardiology Applications course, you’ll receive the Telecardiology Basics course free. It’s an ideal moment to elevate your team’s cardiac care proficiency with two essential courses for the price of one. BOGOTelecardio | American Heart Association

    Expand Your Skills with Complimentary Virtual Care Courses

    In addition to their latest telecardiology offerings, The Association is pleased to provide a range of complimentary continuing education courses covering critical virtual care topics, including:

    Incorporating AI in Digital Health

    Opioid & Controlled Substances in Telehealth

    Best Practices for Optimizing Telehealth to Improve Care for Older Adults

    Vulnerable and Minority Populations

    Take Health to Heart: Use of Telehealth to Advance Women’s Heart Health, Especially in the Most Vulnerable Patient Populations

  4. Patient Engagement:  The Association continues to prioritize solutions that keep patients informed, connected, and empowered throughout their care journey. The American Heart Association offers free patient resources to help individuals prepare for and feel more confident during telehealth visits including the Get Ready for Your Telehealth Visit Checklist, What to Expect During a Virtual Physical, and the Stay Safe – Common Concerns guide.

    Explore the full set of resources here: Telehealth Patient Resources | American Heart Association

Heart Health from a Virtual Perspective

Viewing your heart through the lens of telemedicine changes the "how" of healthcare, but the "what" remains the same. Here is how you can leverage digital tools this February:

  • The "Digital" First Step: Use a virtual visit to discuss your risk factors. It’s a low-pressure way to start the conversation about blood pressure, cholesterol, and family history.
  • Sync Your Stats: If you use a smartwatch or a digital blood pressure cuff, share that data with your provider. This "digital cardiac fingerprint" gives your doctor a much clearer picture of your daily health.
  • Virtual Support: Heart health is a mental game, too. Many telemedicine platforms now offer virtual nutrition counseling and stress management, two critical pillars for a healthy heart.

A Valentine to Yourself

This February, as you see hearts decorating every window, let them be a reminder to check in on your own. Telemedicine has made it easier than ever to prioritize your health without missing a beat of your daily life.
 

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About the Authors

Picture of Elizabeth A. Krupinski Elizabeth Krupinski, PhD: Dr. Krupinski is Professor and Vice-Chair of Research at Emory University in the Departments of Radiology, Psychology and Bioinformatics, and Director of the Southwest Telehealth Resource Center (SWTRC). She received her BA from Cornell, MA from Montclair State and PhD from Temple, all in Experimental Psychology. Her interests are in medical image perception, observer performance, decision making, human factors, and the interface between humans and computers and how that impacts clinical decision-making efficacy and efficiency. She is Past Chair of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine, Past President of the American Telemedicine Association, Past Chair of the SPIE Medical Imaging Symposium, President of the Society for Education and the Advancement of Connected Health, and President of the Medical Image Perception Society. She is Editor of the Journal of Imaging Informatics in Medicine and Telemedicine Reports.
Kristina Wait, Med: Kristina Wait is the American Heart Association’s Senior Director, Center for Telehealth, leading enterprise-wide strategy development. Kristina works with teams across the American Heart Association responsible for professional education, quality improvement and certification, policy, technology & innovation, and patient experience with the aim to provide equitable, patient-centered, and integrated solutions that maximize telehealth benefits for all. Kristina has over 25 years of experience in designing policy, systems, and environmental change interventions across the U.S. and Pacific Island jurisdictions. She has held leadership roles for national initiatives in blood pressure, cholesterol, heart failure, and cancer control. Kristina joined the American Heart Association in 2014 after a 17-year career with the American Cancer Society. She earned a B.A. from the University of Mississippi and an M.Ed. in Health Promotion & Behavior from Vanderbilt University.
Christina Coleman, MSPA, MPH: Christina Coleman, MSPA, MPH, is the Senior Program Manager of Strategic Alliances at the American Heart Association Center for Telehealth, where she leads national collaborations to advance telehealth research, policy, education, and practice.  With more than 20 years of experience across clinical care, public health, and healthcare research, she brings an interdisciplinary lens to evidence based telehealth initiatives and is committed to advancing equitable, high quality digital health care through cross sector collaboration.