Heart Works App Launches to Unite Global Pulmonary Hypertension Community

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 24, 2026 – In a significant move to empower one of the world's rare disease communities, the phaware global association® today announced the launch of Heart Works – phaware®. Timed for release on Rare Disease Day, February 28, the new mobile application aims to create a unified digital ecosystem for people living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), a severe and often isolating condition. The app serves as a combination research platform, educational resource, and global community hub, connecting patients, caregivers, and medical professionals like never before.

A Digital Lifeline for a Debilitating Disease

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious condition characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, which forces the right side of the heart to work harder. While PH in general affects about 1% of the global population, its rarer forms, like Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), are progressive, life-threatening, and have no known cure. The non-specific nature of its symptoms—such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest pain—often leads to an average diagnostic delay of around two years, by which time the disease may have advanced significantly.

Patients are often classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) on a functional scale from Class I (no symptoms) to Class IV (symptoms at rest), reflecting a potential decline that severely limits daily activities and quality of life. For these individuals, the journey is often marked by isolation and a constant search for reliable information. The Heart Works app is designed to directly address these profound challenges.

"Heart Works is more than a mobile app, it's a global call to action," said Steve Van Wormer, President of phaware®, in a statement. "On Rare Disease Day, we celebrate the strength of the PH community by launching a platform that puts connection, education, and research directly in patients' hands."

Innovation in the Palm of Your Hand

The app's power lies in its integration of sophisticated health technology into a user-friendly platform. Compatible with iPhone®, Apple Watch®, and Android® devices, Heart Works enables real-time health tracking from anywhere, transforming a patient's home into a potential site for meaningful research.

One of its most innovative features is the ability for users to perform at-home 6-Minute Walk Tests. This is a standard clinical assessment used to measure exercise capacity and monitor disease progression, which has historically been confined to hospital settings. By enabling patients to conduct this test remotely, the app provides a crucial tool for both self-management and the collection of longitudinal, real-world data for researchers.

Beyond this, the platform facilitates remote participation in clinical trials and studies, breaking down geographical barriers that have long hindered research for rare diseases. Patients can contribute vital information through advanced quality-of-life surveys and activity challenges, turning their personal health data into a powerful force for scientific discovery. This patient-powered research model promises to accelerate the pace of discovery while making participation more accessible and less burdensome.

More Than an App: A Global Community Hub

At its core, Heart Works is engineered to combat the profound sense of isolation that affects many rare disease patients. The app features a 'Patient Lived Experience Portal,' an AI-powered knowledge hub curated to help patients learn directly from the collective wisdom of others living with PH. This digital commons offers a wealth of resources, including access to a library of over 600 phaware® podcasts, educational webinars, and interviews with medical experts from around the globe.

By uniting patients, caregivers, researchers, and advocacy organizations on a single dynamic platform, the app aims to foster a supportive and informed global network. Users can access global daily news feeds and participate in research discussions, creating a continuous dialogue that enriches understanding and empowers individuals to become more active partners in their own care.

Accelerating Research and Empowering Clinicians

The initiative's credibility is bolstered by a foundation of collaboration with world-class partners, including the Stanford Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease and PHAEurope, the umbrella organization for European PH associations. This partnership ensures the app is grounded in scientific rigor and aligned with the needs of a diverse, international patient population.

Heart Works also extends its resources to the medical community. The platform includes a dedicated section for healthcare professionals, offering free, accredited continuing medical education (CME) content through PRIME® Education. This unique feature allows clinicians to stay current on the latest advancements in PH diagnostics and treatments, learn from global experts, and enhance their patient-centered care strategies—all from within the app. By educating the professionals on the front lines, the platform aims to help shorten the critical diagnostic delay and improve outcomes for future patients.

As it becomes available for download on the App Store and Google Play, the Heart Works app represents a new frontier in digital health. It stands as a testament to how technology can be harnessed not only to manage a disease, but to build a resilient, connected, and empowered global community actively working toward a better future.