Research Published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation Finds Higher Enrollment in Lower-Income Areas, with Comparable Engagement and Health Care Utilization Gains
MENLO PARK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A new study published in the American Heart Association’s Circulation shows that enrollment in Hello Heart’s digital cardiovascular self-management program was higher among residents of lower-income areas and was associated with increased primary care use and reduced avoidable emergency department visits across socioeconomic groups, suggesting that digital health programs can help mitigate health inequities linked to income.
The study, titled, “Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Outcomes of a Digital Cardiovascular Self-Management Program,” evaluated enrollment, engagement, and healthcare utilization among adults who were offered Hello Heart through employer-sponsored health benefits, comparing outcomes for those living in lower-income versus higher-income communities.
Among more than 118,000 eligible adults, individuals living in lower-income areas were more likely to enroll in the Hello Heart program than those living in higher-income areas. Among those who enrolled, engagement was comparable across income groups, with no significant difference in the number of blood pressure readings recorded during the first six months. Participation in the program was also associated with more primary care visits and fewer avoidable emergency department visits across both groups.
Key Findings
- Adults living in lower-income areas were 11% more likely to enroll in Hello Heart than those living in higher-income areas.
- Participants from lower-income and higher-income communities recorded a similar number of blood pressure readings in their first six months.
- Program participation was associated with increased primary care visits and reduced avoidable emergency department visits compared with matched nonparticipants.
- Researchers found no evidence that area-level income changed the association between program participation and healthcare utilization outcomes.
“Digital health has enormous potential to expand access to preventive care, but only if it works for the populations who often face the greatest barriers to care,” said Jayne Morgan, MD, VP of Medical Affairs at Hello Heart and study co-author. “What’s encouraging here is that we saw higher enrollment among individuals in lower-income communities, similar engagement once enrolled, and meaningful improvements in care utilization across the board.”
The findings are especially notable given longstanding concerns that digital health solutions may disproportionately benefit higher-income populations with greater access to time, technology, or healthcare resources. Instead, this real-world evaluation suggests that Hello Heart’s program may help connect underserved populations to more consistent preventive care while narrowing existing disparities.
Hello Heart’s program combines a connected blood pressure monitor with personalized digital coaching, educational content, and tools that help members build heart-healthy habits and better manage chronic conditions. By making cardiovascular self-management more accessible and actionable, the platform aims to improve outcomes while helping individuals seek the right care at the right time.
About Hello Heart
Hello Heart is on a mission to make heart attacks a thing of the past.
We’re an AI company focused exclusively on heart health, building a platform to predict and prevent cardiac events before they happen—identifying risk up to 10 days in advance versus 10-year risk estimates from traditional clinical models.
Proven at scale, Hello Heart has been shown to reduce inpatient hospital days by 47% and deliver more than $1,700 in annual healthcare savings per member.
Hello Heart is the cardiac prevention partner to over 80% of large U.S. health plans and serves hundreds of public and private employers. We collaborate with leading organizations including CVS Health and the American College of Cardiology to expand access to preventive heart health technology. Fast Company named Hello Heart one of the most innovative companies of 2026.
Learn more at www.helloheart.com.
Contacts
Media Contact
Andrew Padgett
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