Yale School of Medicine uses ResearchKit App to assess heart conditions

Imagine being able to contribute to research about heart problems affecting children and adults with an iPhone app. That idea is now a reality with today's launch of the Yale Cardiomyopathy Index , an iPhone-based clinical study to better understand quality of life for people ages two to 80 who have or may develop a cardiomyopathy - an abnormality in the heart muscle. Developed by Yale School of Medicine researchers E. Kevin Hall , and Dr. Michele Spencer-Manzon , the app uses ResearchKit, a software framework designed by Apple, to easily turn an iPhone into a powerful gateway between leading medical institutions and patients around the world. Cardiomyopathies are diseases of the heart muscle that limit the heart's ability to effectively pump blood through the body. They are present in as many as 1 in 500 individuals. Parents and their children ages 2 to 18 can take part in the study together, with tailored questionnaires designed to assess how a cardiomyopathy affects children of different age groups. The questions are modified to be appropriate for each age group.