Are adult patients discharged after acute coronary syndrome, cardiac surgery, or PCI willing to participate in a remote digital cardiac rehabilitation program?
A remote digital cardiac rehabilitation program is acceptable to the vast majority of cardiac patients, suggesting it could be a viable alternative to traditional center-based rehabilitation.
Background: The low participation rate in cardiac rehabilitation programs is the major reason for rehospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. Home-based cardiac rehabilitation by technological means is an essential component of a "patient-centered" approach, which is capable of enhancing the participation rate in rehabilitation programs. Introduction: The aim of this research was to examine attitudes, perceptions, and behavioral intentions toward remote digital cardiac rehabilitation (RDCR) with respect to factors such as age, education, smoking, exercise habits, technological illiteracy, and mobile phone behavior. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 200 adult patients discharged from a hospital after an acute coronary syndrome, cardiac surgery, or percutaneous coronary intervention. All patients answered an anonymous Technology Usage Questionnaire, which examined the relationship between their willingness to participate in the RDCR program and various parameters. The surveys were distributed and completed between July 2017 and November 2017 at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. Results: Overall, 83% of all participants were interested in participating in the RDCR program. Those with heart failure had a greater interest in the program (100%; p Conclusions: The RDCR program was acceptable to most cardiac patients, including the elderly population, and could be a potential solution for patients who avoid traditional rehabilitation programs in medical centers.
Nabutovsky et al. (Thu,) studied this question.