The specific study aim is to determine whether a 12-week digitally delivered behavior change intervention for patients with peripheral artery disease increases walking ability, reduces smoking, improves quality of life and improves medication adherence. The primary and secondary endpoints will primarily be captured at a 12 weeks follow-up visit, but a follow-up visit after 12 months is also planned; to assess longer term effect on outcomes and healthcare cost.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a highly prevalent atherosclerotic syndrome with an estimated global population burden of ~200 million people. PAD patients are at heightened risk for adverse cardiovascular- and limb events and impaired quality of life. Cigarette smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor. Patients with PAD who smoke have higher disease progression rates, greater risk of complications, poor post-procedural outcomes, compromised functional status, and increased hospitalizations.

A significant goal of PAD treatment includes risk factor modification and prevention of cardiovascular events. Guideline-directed therapy includes cardioprotective pharmacotherapies, and lifestyle modification. Nevertheless, adherence to pharmacologic and lifestyle recommendations in PAD is uncertain. Effective non-pharmacologic therapies for PAD also exist, including smoking cessation, exercise support, and diet counseling. However, limited data is available on mobile applications offering digitally delivered lifestyle change support, including a structured exercise program and smoking cessation support. This study aims to digitally provide lifestyle change support, including a structured and PAD-focused lifestyle program and smoking cessation support via a mobile platform (Sidekick Health) with the primary aim to increase patients' walking ability and secondary aims to reduce smoking and improve medication adherence.

Hypotheses

1. At the end of the 12 weeks, the interventional arm will reach a clinically meaningful change in walking ability, as compared to controls, measured by a change in the 6-MWT at twelve-week, and 12 months; the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is defined as +12m.
2. At the end of the 12 weeks, ≥15% interventional treatment arm participants will give up smoking or have significantly reduced their daily smoking compared to less than <10% in the control arm.
3. At the end of the 12 weeks, ≥50% of interventional treatment arm participants will improve their medication adherence from pre- until post-intervention as compared to <30% in the control arm.
4. Healthcare cost will be reduced at 12 month follow-up in the intervention arm.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults with confirmed PAD referred to a vascular surgery unit for evaluation and treatment, currently on best medical treatment and own/have access to a mobile smartphone
• Stable PAD disease and limb symptoms during the last 3 months.
• PAD is the activity-limiting disease
• Abnormal resting ankle-brachial index (ABI) (≤0.90), falsely elevated ABI above 1.3 or a 30% post-exercise ABI reduction.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Critical limb ischemia, prior amputation, or other diseases/ impairment that limit the walking ability and the 6-minute walk test's proper conduct
• Cognitive impairment
• Prior revascularization less than one year ago
• A planned revascularization procedure during the upcoming 12 months (known at baseline).

Anonymized IPD may be shared with other researchers for relevant research purposes following complementary ethical review and approval from the Ethical Review Board.

The outcome assessor will be blinded for group assignment at the 12 weeks and 12 month follow-up visit.