Effectiveness of home-based cardiac telerehabilitation programs in improving clinical outcomes after PCI: A...

Home-Based Cardiac Telerehabilitation (HBCTR) is a potential alternative to center-based programs, but its effectiveness remains unclear. This meta-analysis evaluated the impact of this treatment on clinical outcomes and patient-reported quality of life (QoL).

We searched Cochrane Central, Google Scholar, and PubMed until September 1, 2025, for studies evaluating HBCTR versus usual care. The primary clinical outcomes were 6 min walk test (6 MWT), VO₂max, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Outcomes were pooled as mean differences (MD), standardized mean differences (SMD) for QoL, and risk ratios (RR) for binary data using RevMan 5.4.1 (random-effects). Quality assessment was performed using the ROB-2 scale, and publication bias was analyzed using funnel plots.

Twelve studies comprising 1392 patients were included. HBCTR significantly improved 6MWT distance (MD: 18.76; 95% CI: 10.35-27.18; p < 0.0001), VO₂max (MD: 3.53; 95% CI: 2.42-4.65; p < 0.00001), and LVEF (MD: 2.03; 95% CI: 0.15-3.91; p = 0.03). Significant reductions were observed in systolic blood pressure (MD: -3.09 mmHg; 95% CI: -5.50 to -0.69; p = 0.01), alongside improved medication adherence (RR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.08-1.43; p = 0.002). QoL outcomes showed small and inconsistent improvements, while lipid parameters, anxiety, and depression demonstrated no consistent benefit.

Compared to usual care, HBCTR improved functional capacity, systolic BP, VO₂ max, LVEF, and adherence, while mental health and lipid outcomes remained inconclusive.