Can a smartwatch and village doctor program help seniors with heart problems?
NCT ID NCT07492524
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This study tests a telemedicine program for people aged 65-80 with both atrial fibrillation and heart failure living in rural China. Village clinics are randomly assigned to offer either standard care or a program that includes a digital health system, a smartwatch for monitoring, group exercise sessions, and personalized education. The goal is to see if this approach improves heart failure risk scores and reduces serious events like stroke or hospitalization over three years.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Digital Intelligent Integrated Management (behavioral intervention including digital system, lifestyle changes, wearable device, and education)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that a village doctor-led telemedicine program improves heart failure outcomes and reduces hospitalizations in older rural patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a cluster trial in a specific rural setting in China, so results may not apply elsewhere. The intervention is complex and relies on technology and adherence, which may limit effectiveness.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 942 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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65 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
1\. The village clinics need to be willing and able to provide integrated care to their patients with atrial fibrillation; 2. The village doctors from one village clinic serves all AF patients from 3-5 nearby villages; 3. The village doctors are trained to have a fundamental understanding of telemedicine; 4. Patients are eligible for participation if 1)they aged 65-80 years. 2) Electrocardiogram (ECG) confirmation of AF or possession of a diagnostic certificate for AF issued by a specialist. 3) A documented history of HF or a diagnosis of HF based on echocardiography and/or NT-proBNP screening, defined by the presence of typical HF symptoms and/or signs, together with one of the following: reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF; LVEF \< 40%), mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFmrEF; LVEF 40-49%), or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction with elevated NT-proBNP and structural heart disease changes (HFpEF; LVEF ≥ 50%, meeting at least one of the following criteria: LAV 40 ml/m², E/e' ≥ 15, or TRV \> 2.8 m/s). 4) Management by a village clinic near the participant's place of residence. 5) Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Expected life expectancy of less than 12 months. 2. Severe renal insufficiency (Ccr \< 30ml/min) or ongoing dialysis treatment. 3. Cardiac insufficiency secondary to correctable causes, including hyperthyroid heart disease, anemic heart disease, or uncorrected congenital heart disease. 4. Indications for pacemaker implantation without having undergone implantation. 5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated by type II respiratory failure. 6. Special populations, including patients with mental illnesses.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Village Clinics in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province
RECRUITINGYancheng, Dongtai, 224200, China
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Village Clinics in Jiangdu District, Jiangsu Province
RECRUITINGYangzhou, Jiangdu, 225267, China
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Village Clinics in Suining County, Jiangsu Province
RECRUITINGXuzhou, Suining, 221200, China
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