Currently submitted to: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Apr 17, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Apr 18, 2026 - Jun 13, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Citizen centric Android based mobile application with decision support to assist community level control and management of hypertension in rural Assam.
ABSTRACT
Background:
Hypertension is a leading contributor to cardiovascular morbidity in India, with burden in rural populations due to limited access to care and poor adherence to pharmacological management. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer scalable solutions for self-management in resource-constrained settings.
Objective:
This study aimed to develop and pilot-evaluate “My Heart,” a citizen-centric Android-based mobile application with integrated clinical decision support to support hypertension self-management in rural Assam, India.
Methods:
“My Heart” was developed using a Goal-Directed Design framework. The system comprises an Android app for participants and a secure web-based dashboard for investigators, enabling self-reporting of clinical and lifestyle data, longitudinal monitoring, and automated decision support aligned with ESC/ESH and ADA guidelines. Key features include offline data capture, AES-256 encryption, REST API synchronization, and personalized behavioral messaging.
Results:
The application integrated self-monitoring, decision support, and digital behavior modification. Participants reported improved awareness and engagement, with preliminary improvements in physical activity, dietary salt reduction, substance use, and medication adherence. Users valued reminders and educational content. Barriers included age-related usability challenges, English-only interface, limited distribution pathways, and manual synchronization in low-connectivity areas.
Conclusions:
“My Heart” demonstrates feasibility of a user-centered mHealth intervention for hypertension self-management in rural India. With multilingual support, cross-platform expansion, and enhanced offline synchronization, the app shows promise as a scalable digital behavior change tool aligned with national NCD programs. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
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