Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Wearable Technologies in the Context of Cardiovascular Prevention From Early Detection to Cardiac Recovery: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary intervention integrating therapeutic exercise, patient education, nutritional counseling, optimized pharmacological management, and psychological support. It reduces cardiovascular mortality and improves functional capacity and quality of life. However, real-world implementation remains suboptimal due to limited accessibility, high dropout rates, and urban-rural inequities. Traditional center-based models rely on in-person supervision, limiting scalability and long-term monitoring beyond structured phases. These limitations are particularly evident during the transition from supervised rehabilitation to long-term self-management, when sustained cardiovascular risk control and maintenance of healthy behaviors are essential. Cardiovascular prevention and cardiac rehabilitation should therefore be understood as interconnected components of a continuum of care. Within this framework, digital health innovations-particularly wearable technologies and artificial intelligence (AI)-offer opportunities to bridge supervised rehabilitation and long-term prevention. Wearables enable continuous remote monitoring of physiological and behavioral parameters, facilitating early detection of adverse events and personalized feedback. AI enhances these capabilities through advanced analysis of clinical and sensor-derived data, supporting risk stratification, prediction of adherence and disease progression, and individualized decision-making across the care pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This protocol outlines a planned scoping review that will systematically map and characterize the application of AI and wearable technologies across the cardiovascular care continuum-from primary prevention to cardiac rehabilitation-identifying key use cases, technological approaches, research clusters, and knowledge gaps.

METHODS: The review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and adhere to PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. Eligibility criteria are structured according to the Population, Concept, and Context framework. A comprehensive, iteratively developed thesaurus of key terms has been prepared to guide structured searches in PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, IEEE Xplore, and CINAHL. Two reviewers will independently screen titles, abstracts, and full texts, with disagreements resolved by consensus. A third reviewer will intervene if disagreements persist. Data will be charted using a standardized extraction form and synthesized through narrative synthesis and structured tabulation.

RESULTS: At the time of manuscript submission, the review has not yet commenced. However, a comprehensive thesaurus of key terms has been developed to guide and structure the forthcoming literature search. A preliminary PubMed search retrieved 1255 records; additional database searches are expected to increase this number. No participant recruitment or primary data collection is required. The literature search is planned for April-June 2026, followed by study selection. Results are expected to be available for publication in November 2026.

CONCLUSIONS: This review will provide a comprehensive mapping of AI and wearable integration in cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, offering an evidence-based foundation for future research and informing digital health strategies aimed at improving long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/89602.