Introduction

Keeping heart failure patients active

Regular exercise is a key to good health, and even more so for heart failure patients. Dr. Pallav Deka has studied ways for heart patients to adhere to exercise guidelines. That includes the use of wrist-worn activity monitors such as Fitbit trackers to provide positive feedback on exercise and physical activity. When patients can monitor their heart rate and step counts, it encourages them to maintain their walking regimens. Deka’s research combines his roles as exercise physiologist and nurse researcher. His pilot study to improve adherence to exercise in heart failure patients won the 2017 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Midwest Nursing Research Society.