Eliciting exercise preferences in cardiac rehabilitation: initial evaluation of a new strategy

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs may be more effective in promoting long-term exercise if participants are helped to devise exercise programs that are individually tailored to their exercise preferences. This paper describes an initial evaluation of 'CHOICE' (Creating better Health Orientation by Improving Communication about Exercise experiences), an instrument designed to elicit cardiac patients' exercise preferences. In individual interviews with 16 women, CHOICE was used to help participants select exercise features that were important to them for maintaining long-term exercise. Exercise preferences were then summarized on individual preference forms. Study participants in this pilot study had no problems in selecting exercise features contributing to exercise maintenance and could easily discriminate between their relative importance. Further, there were large variations in the importance participants placed on different exercise features. This suggests the need for eliciting patients' exercise preferences so exercise programs can be individually designed. In conclusion, CHOICE is an applicable instrument for eliciting exercise preferences.