In her dissertation, Isabel Höppchen explored how digital technologies can support the patient pathway from acute hospital care to cardiac rehabilitation.

Using a patient-centered research design that combines methods from Human-Computer Interaction and Implementation Science, she worked closely with patients and healthcare professionals to identify needs and transform them into tangible solutions through co-design workshops. The result is the HERO app: a mobile health technology designed to provide patients with orientation after a cardiac event, foster emotional stability, and strengthen their motivation to participate in a rehabilitation program.

Beyond the HERO app, the dissertation also contributes new conceptual foundations, including an information map and four design principles for mobile health technologies aimed at supporting intersectoral patient pathways.