Recovery support after a heart attack has become easier to access, at a time and place to suit individual patients.
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Albury Wodonga Health has introduced the Cardihab app, available through mobile devices, which can guide people through the right exercises and medication reminders.
The options include full virtual care, a hybrid model or support for traditional face-to-face or group rehabilitation.
AWH team leader health co-ordination Liz Freeman said 80 per cent of people who should be attending cardiac rehabilitation programs were not, for a variety of reasons.
"The flexibility of this app allows clients to engage in their rehabilitation journey, even if they need to return to work, live at a distance from health services, are geographically isolated, or have limited transportation options," Mrs Freeman said.
Albury resident Roz Ward, 75, said the app showed her the correct way to recover and improve her fitness after she had stents put in.
"The biggest thing you don't understand is the fear people experience when they've got a heart issue," she said.
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"What the app did was give me the confidence to believe that I could actually do this exercise, because it's scary - 'if I do this exercise, am I going to drop dead from another heart attack or what?'
"Day by day, even when I was away, I could use this app, which I did, I was on holiday and I would exercise every day."
Mrs Freeman said the health co-ordination team had been working with Cardihab to develop and launch the app, with staff members trained on how to use the program effectively.
Ms Ward describes the rehabilitation guide as "life-changing".
"It's about making the commitment to get better, stay better and get healthy," she said.
"It's all about training people to change the way they live by exercise, and hopefully that changes their outlook on life, because, hey, we all want to live a wee bit longer, don't we?"
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