Beat-to-Beat: AI-powered help for rural heart health
Official title: Beat-to-Beat: AI-Powered, Locally Relevant Engagement to Promote Rural Cardiovascular Health
Funded at Talk Story Health LLC · NIH-11405675 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI-enabled digital tool helps people in rural areas get accurate, local heart-health guidance through friendly video chats.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Talk Story Health LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Honolulu, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2026 |
| Project end | July 14, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $550,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R43HL184399-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11405675 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in rural communities with limited access to healthcare who want clearer, trustworthy information about heart disease.
✕Less likely to help
If users do not engage with digital health tools or have limited internet access, benefits may be limited.
What this research studies
Beat-to-Beat aims to provide easy-to-understand, evidence-based conversations about heart disease to adults in rural communities who may have limited access to care. The project develops an AI tool that uses validated medical literature and local resources to answer CHD questions, plus friendly AI video personas to improve engagement. A fully functional prototype will be tested against traditional methods to see if it improves understanding, trust, and intent to seek care. The work is designed to be accessible and culturally relevant for communities with health literacy and access barriers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this tool could improve heart health understanding and access to reliable guidance for people in rural areas.
How similar studies have gone: Prior AI-driven health chat tools show promise in improving information access, but locally tailored, video-based personas are a novel element in this setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Talk Story Health LLC
Honolulu, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sumida, Wesley — Talk Story Health LLC
- Study coordinator: Sumida, Wesley
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Enhancing Intergenerational Heart Health in Nigeria during Pregnancy and Early Life
A research project will test a healthy eating and active living program for pregnant women with obesity in Nigeria to help improve heart health for the mother and her children.
-
COVID-19 healthcare disruptions and heart health inequities in NYC adults with multiple conditions
This project looks at how COVID-19-related gaps in care affected heart health in adults with several chronic conditions in New York City.
-
ENRICH: A Center to Support Healthy Hearts for Moms and Kids
A nationwide effort at Johns Hopkins to test a consistent, family-focused program that helps mothers and their children develop healthier heart habits using home visiting, technology, and coordinated care.
-
Early life air pollution and kids’ heart health: how metals in the air affect children from birth to age 12
This grant studies how pollution from cooking fires and wood smoke in early life may shape a child’s heart health through age 12.
-
Enhancing cardiovascular health for moms and kids at home
A multi-center program tests whether enhanced home visiting can improve heart health and growth in families from economically challenged communities by collecting more accurate pediatric height/weight data.
-
GLP-1 receptor drugs and heart-brain health in diabetes and Alzheimer’s risk
A Duke-led study will explore how GLP-1 receptor medicines and exercise affect brain and heart health in models prone to diabetes and Alzheimer’s risk.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.