In addition, thanks to the combination of telemonitoring and teleintervention, a 70% reduction in episodes of decompensation is also achieved.
The prestigious scientific journal The Lancet Digital Health has published these results from a pioneering clinical trial on mHealth (mobile health), led by Bellvitge University Hospital, IDIBELL, and CIBERCV.
Patients under follow-up at Bellvitge University Hospital, Viladecans Hospital, and Delta Primary Care (Metropolitan South area) are already benefiting from the knowledge generated by this research, with plans to soon scale it up to other hospitals and regions.
A pioneering study led by Bellvitge University Hospital, the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), and the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Cardiovascular Diseases (CIBERCV) has demonstrated that telemedicine tools can transform the management of heart failure, one of the most prevalent chronic diseases and one that has a major impact on the healthcare system. The results of the HERMeS trial (Heart failure Events reduction with Remote Monitoring and eHealth Support), published in the prestigious journal The Lancet Digital Health, confirm that the combination of telemonitoring and teleintervention reduces episodes of decompensation by up to 70% and cardiovascular mortality by 54% in patients with chronic heart failure.
The HERMeS trial, conducted between 2018 and 2022, included 506 patients who had been hospitalized for decompensated heart failure across ten centers in Spain (Bellvitge University Hospital, Clínic of Valencia, Central University Hospital of Asturias, Puerta de Hierro, Manises, Virgen de la Victoria, Arnau de Vilanova, Delta Primary Care of Llobregat, Viladecans, and Moisès Broggi). The patients were divided into two groups: one received conventional treatment, while the other used a mobile platform for daily telemonitoring and videoconferencing with medical teams.
The results are conclusive: in the group that used telemedicine tools, the risk of new cardiovascular events, hospitalizations, and readmissions was drastically reduced—from 41% in the conventional follow-up group to 17% in the mHealth-based follow-up group.
"These data reinforce the need to incorporate telemedicine technologies into clinical guidelines for the treatment of heart failure, especially in patients with high vulnerability. It is a safe, scalable model that can improve patients' quality of life while also easing the burden on the healthcare system," says Dr. Sergi Yun Viladomat, eHealth expert, member of the Community Heart Failure Multidisciplinary Unit (UMICO) and the Internal Medicine Department at Bellvitge University Hospital, and researcher in the Bio-Heart group at IDIBELL and CIBER-CV.
From Research to Real-World Application: The eOSS Project
The HERMeS study has been key to driving forward the eOSS project (eHealth-Based Operative Support System), developed by the Community Heart Failure Unit at Bellvitge University Hospital, with the participation of the Delta Primary and Community Care Management (GAPiC).
As part of this project, a mobile application has been developed that allows patients to send daily biometric data from home—such as weight or blood pressure—and respond to a brief health status questionnaire. The app is accessible to everyone, regardless of their technological proficiency or socioeconomic situation.These data are processed in real time thanks to integration with the SAP clinical system, providing a comprehensive overview that enables timely intervention upon receiving an alert from the user—thereby helping to prevent serious complications.
“It’s a paradigm shift in healthcare: we’ve moved from reaction to proactivity, detecting decompensations before they become severe,” emphasized Dr. Cristina Enjuanes, coordinator of the Community Heart Failure Unit and researcher in the Bio-Heart group at IDIBELL and CIBER-CV.
The development of this application, led by the Information Systems Directorate of the Bellvitge-Viladecans Hospital Management and the Primary Care areas of Metropolitan South and Penedès of the ICS, was completed in just six months. It is currently being tested with patients who have been admitted to the Cardiology department at Bellvitge University Hospital and at the Sant Josep Primary Care Team (EAP) of GAPiC Delta, with plans to scale it to other hospitals, Primary Care Teams (EAP), and regions within the Catalan Health Institute.
Innovation and Sustainability for the Future
The eOSS project also opens the door to the development of new predictive models based on artificial intelligence, which will allow treatments to be personalized and promote more equitable and sustainable care. This initiative has been made possible thanks to funding from the Transformative Projects program of SISCAT and the company Novartis.
“Heart failure is one of the greatest challenges for the Catalan healthcare system, with an incidence affecting more than 2% of the population. The integration of telemedicine will improve patients’ quality of life, reduce hospitalizations, and ease the pressure on the health system,” concludes Dr. Josep Comin-Colet, Director of the Heart Diseases Area, Director of Innovation, Research, and Universities at Bellvitge-Viladecans Hospital Management, and Director of the Bio-Heart research group at IDIBELL and CIBERCV.
Reference Article
Yun, S; Comin-Colet, J; Calero-Molina, E; et al. Evaluation of mobile health technology (mHealth) combining telemonitoring and teleintervention in vulnerable phase heart failure management: the HERMeS multicentre, randomised, controlled trial, The Lancet Digital Health, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.landig.2025.02.006.