The EXPERT TRAINING TOOL allows healthcare professionals to compare their exercise prescriptions to predetermined patient cases with the outcome of the EXPERT TRAINING TOOL algorithm, developed according to EAPC and ESC position statements/guidelines and the expert opinions of the EAPC EXPERT group members. The interactive tool also presents explains? the rationale behind the outcome of the exercise prescriptions. The EXPERT TRAINING TOOL is intended to be used for educational and (individual) training purposes only, but will help rehabilitation professionals as well as students to further develop exercise prescription skills which are beneficial for their rehabilitation practice.

The EXPERT TOOL is an interactive digital tool to assist health care professionals to select maximally clinically effective and medically safe training modalities for patients with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The tool acts as a Decision Support System / Recommender System to support prescription of personalized exercise training. A history of prescriptions for a certain patient can be viewed. Individual as well as group licenses are supported. The EXPERT TOOL has been used as a standalone tool in this way, and has also been integrated in dashboard applications in specific projects/studies. This Decision Support System stores patient data and prescriptions. Given the Medical Device Regulation and privacy regulations such as GDPR, this system can only be used with proper approval according to the regulations that locally apply. In this way the EXPERT TOOL is / will be used as an investigational medical device in a number of scientific studies.

To explore possible collaboration regarding the use of the EXPERT TOOL / Decision Support System in particular studies and projects, please contact us at expert-tool@uhasselt.be

Associate Professor, Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology in Internal Diseases (Hasselt University/Jessa Hospital – Belgium)

“With respect to exercise prescription in cardiovascular rehabilitation, all knowledge available from clinical guidelines, scientific evidence and expert opinions is brought together into a single algorithm and decision support system for the first time. The EXPERT tool will contribute to better exercise prescription and tailored exercise intervention for every patient with cardiovascular disease (risk).”

Physiotherapist, Deputy Head of Department – Rehabilitation and Health Center (ReGo, Jessa Hospital – Belgium)

“As a clinician it is important to choose the best evidence-based option of rehabilitation that exists for our cardiac patients. My experience shows that each clinician has their own way of creating a rehabilitation scheme. By using the EXPERT tool I can say that a lot of obstacles that influence rehabilitation will disappear. The EXPERT-tool takes into account a lot of risk factors and exercise modifiers such as diabetes, obesity, dislipidemia, hypertension, sarcopenia, renal failure, COPD, etc. It also takes into account the side-effects of medication (on respiration and muscles), which has a strong influence on the training capacity of the patient. The summary of all these things gives a recommendation for the training. The EXPERT tool can ensure that all clinicians give the same training advice to their patients. So, a standard individualised training programme will be realised.”