Alternatives for cardiac rehabilitation patients unable to return to a hospital-based program

To determine the effectiveness of a home exercise program using transtelephonic exercise monitoring (TEM).

Prospective, two-group experimental, random assignment.

Urban centered hospital and surrounding community.

Twenty cardiac rehabilitation patients entering a Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.

Maximal oxygen consumption, blood pressure, pressure-rate product, workload.

Twenty male cardiac patients were randomly enrolled in either a 12-week home- or hospital-based exercise program. Maximal exercise tolerance tests were conducted, before and after exercise intervention, on a computer-driven bicycle ergometer. Subjects trained 3 days per week for 12 weeks on a bicycle ergometer for a maximum of 35 minutes at 75% of maximum heart rate reserve or functional capacity.

Posttraining results showed significant improvement in cardiac function for both groups. Two patients in the TEM group developed new arrhythmias while exercising that required medication changes; however, no medical emergencies arose in either exercise group. Independent Student t test showed no significant difference between groups before or after training.

We conclude that TEM is an effective alternative for the rehabilitation of patients who are unable to return to a hospital-based program.