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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
Feasibility and Acceptability of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Especially for Women (CREW) Web-Based Program in Rural
Orathai Suebkinorn1, Alline Beleigoli2, Robyn A Clark3
1Flinders University, Caring Future Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Khon Kaen University, Department of Adult Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Heart, Lung & Circulation
|July 15, 2026
Summary
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Especially for Women (CREW) program showed feasibility and acceptability in a pilot study. This telehealth initiative improved cardiac rehabilitation initiation for women in rural areas.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Digital Health
- Women's Health
Background:
- Women are underrepresented in cardiac rehabilitation, especially in rural areas, due to barriers like distance and lack of tailored programs.
- Home-based, telehealth, and gender-specific cardiac rehabilitation models are potential solutions.
- The Cardiac Rehabilitation Especially for Women (CREW) program was developed to address these disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the co-designed, web-based CREW program for women in rural and remote communities.
- To assess the impact of the CREW program on cardiac rehabilitation initiation and completion rates compared to historical controls.
- To gather insights from participants and clinicians on program value and areas for improvement.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining a prospective observational study with matched historical controls and qualitative interviews.
- Women in rural/remote South Australia referred to cardiac rehabilitation were invited to use the CREW program (4 educational modules).
- Cardiac rehabilitation initiation/completion data were collected, and semi-structured online interviews explored feasibility, acceptability, and perceived value.
Main Results:
- 33 out of 40 (82.5%) women initiated cardiac rehabilitation via CREW; 24 (60%) completed.
- The CREW group showed significantly higher initiation rates (RR 1.47) compared to controls (56.1% initiated, 45.6% completed).
- High satisfaction (4.5/5) reported; qualitative themes included empowerment, telehealth value, digital divide, and system challenges.
Conclusions:
- The CREW program is feasible and acceptable to women and clinicians, demonstrating promise for reducing gender disparities in cardiac rehabilitation access.
- This women-focused, web-based model offers a potential solution for improving cardiac rehabilitation uptake in underserved populations.
- Further research is recommended to assess clinical effectiveness, engagement, and scalability of the CREW program.