American Heart Association Recognizes Digital Health Innovators in Inaugural CarePlan Challenge

The American Heart Association has announced the winners of its inaugural CarePlan Challenge, recognizing three digital health innovators for creating solutions that transform cardiovascular care through technology integration. Research indicates growing patient acceptance of artificial intelligence-supported health interventions when backed by clinical expertise and evidence-based guidelines, creating opportunities for digital health expansion. The challenge, hosted by the Association's Center for Health Technology & Innovation, invited developers and AI specialists worldwide to build digital prototypes integrating the organization's science-based CarePlans alongside tools like Life's Essential 8™ and the PREVENT™ Risk Calculator. Participants received API access to these resources to develop solutions that could improve preventive care, disease management, and patient engagement.

Submissions were evaluated based on innovation, technical implementation, user experience, and clinical impact by a panel of digital health and clinical research experts. The selected solutions include ConneQT's mobile wellness programs that link daily tasks, biometrics from the CONNEQT Pulse, and personalized goals to build heart-healthy habits. Porter Health offers a web-based tool delivering one-click PREVENT and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic health risk assessments with AI-assisted CarePlans. OneVillage provides women-focused virtual cardio-primary care combining physician visits, cardiac rehab, and supportive services into an 80-day personalized pathway. "These innovators are pushing the boundaries to build a brighter future of cardiovascular care," said Dr. Seth Martin, American Heart Association volunteer and Johns Hopkins professor. "Their prototypes aimed at using technology to turn science into action show significant promise in making evidence-based care more personal, accessible, and impactful."

The challenge champions will present their prototypes at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2025 in New Orleans for additional expert feedback. To learn more about the CarePlan Challenge, visit https://ahahealthtech.org/aha-careplan-challenge-2025. The initiative represents a significant step toward harnessing digital technology to expand access to guideline-based cardiovascular care and improve patient outcomes through personalized, evidence-driven approaches. This development matters because it demonstrates how established medical organizations are actively fostering innovation to bridge the gap between clinical science and practical patient care. By providing developers with access to validated clinical tools through APIs, the Association is creating an ecosystem where technology can amplify evidence-based medicine rather than operate independently from it.

The recognition of these specific solutions highlights important trends in digital health, including the move toward integrated care pathways that combine multiple aspects of cardiovascular health management. ConneQT's approach of connecting daily habits with biometric monitoring addresses the challenge of sustaining lifestyle changes, while Porter Health's one-click risk assessment demonstrates how AI can streamline complex clinical calculations for both providers and patients. OneVillage's women-focused model acknowledges the importance of tailored approaches in cardiovascular care, particularly given documented disparities in heart disease outcomes among different demographic groups. These innovations have implications for healthcare accessibility, potentially reaching patients who face barriers to traditional care settings through mobile and web-based platforms.

The challenge's emphasis on integrating established clinical tools like the PREVENT™ Risk Calculator ensures that technological innovation builds upon rather than replaces evidence-based medicine. This approach addresses concerns about the clinical validity of some digital health solutions while leveraging technology's strengths in personalization and scalability. As cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of mortality globally, such initiatives that combine technological innovation with rigorous clinical science could significantly impact public health outcomes by making preventive care and disease management more accessible and effective for diverse populations.