Improving access to cardiac rehabilitation using the internet: a randomized trial

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Digital Health
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is crucial for secondary prevention after cardiac events.
• Low attendance rates (10%-30%) are often due to geographical barriers.
• Virtual CR programs (vCRPs) offer a potential solution for remote patient access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of an internet-delivered virtual cardiac rehabilitation program (vCRP).
• To assess vCRP's impact on exercise capacity, risk factors, and cardiovascular events compared to usual care.
• To determine patient perceptions of accessibility, convenience, and efficacy of vCRP.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 78 in-patients with acute coronary syndrome or post-revascularization.
• Participants were assigned to either usual care (UC) or a four-month vCRP.
• vCRP included remote monitoring, online education, and virtual consultations with healthcare professionals.

Main Results:

• vCRP significantly increased maximal treadmill time (MTT) by 45.7 seconds compared to UC (p=0.045).
• Improvements were observed in cholesterol levels and dietary quality within the vCRP group.
• Participants found the vCRP accessible, convenient, and effective for healthcare delivery.

Conclusions:

• Virtual cardiac rehabilitation (vCRP) is a safe and effective alternative to traditional CR.
• vCRP facilitates sustainable risk reduction without requiring in-person visits.
• Internet-based CR programs can overcome geographical barriers, improving patient access to essential secondary prevention services.