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November 9, 2025CureusOpen Access

Effectiveness of Nurse-Led Cardiac Rehabilitation Compared to Routine Care: A Systematic Review

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Key result

Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation significantly enhanced quality of life and functional capacity, and demonstrated an 8-10% absolute risk reduction in hospital readmissions compared to routine care.

Why the study?

Despite increasing adoption of nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation models, their impact compared to routine care remains uncertain.

Does nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation improve quality of life, functional capacity, and clinical outcomes in adults with cardiovascular disease compared to routine care?

Population

922 adults with established cardiovascular disease across 6 RCTs

Comparison

Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation vs routine or usual care

Design

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Authors

AHAmna HaliliMRMd Raqeebuzzaman

Discussion

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Member takes

Overview

Supports integration of nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation into routine care; confirms benefits across quality-of-life, capacity, and readmission endpoints.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review (n=922)

Structured PICO

Does nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation improve quality of life, functional capacity, and clinical outcomes in adults with cardiovascular disease compared to routine care?

P
Population
922 adults with established cardiovascular disease, including heart failure and post-PCI patients, followed for up to 7 months across 6 randomized controlled trials.
I
Intervention
Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes primarily delivered, coordinated, or supervised by nurses, including structured education, lifestyle counselling, medication optimisation, supervised or home-based exercise, and follow-up support delivered in-person, in hybrid formats, or virtually.
C
Comparator
Routine or usual care, defined as standard clinical management without a structured nurse-led CR programme (e.g., discharge advice or routine follow-up in primary or secondary care).
O
Outcome
Quality of life (QoL), functional capacity, hospital readmissions (all-cause or cardiovascular-related), and all-cause mortality.patient reported

Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation is an effective model of care that significantly enhances quality of life and functional capacity in adults with cardiovascular disease compared to routine care.

Limitations

  • Substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity in interventions, outcome measures, and follow-up periods precluded quantitative meta-analysis
  • Small sample sizes and low event rates for hospital readmissions and mortality
  • Short-term follow-up periods of up to 7 months
  • Risk of bias due to self-reported measures for quality of life and functional capacity
  • Substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity in interventions, outcome measures, and follow-up periods precluding meta-analysis
  • Missing outcome data
  • Bias in measurement of outcomes
  • Short-term follow-up

Cite This Study

Halili et al. (2025) conducted a systematic review in Cardiovascular disease (n=922). Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation vs. Routine care was evaluated on Quality of life, functional capacity, hospital readmissions, and mortality. Nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation significantly enhanced quality of life and functional capacity, and demonstrated an 8-10% absolute risk reduction in hospital readmissions compared to routine care.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a92bdc49da65ccb784a1f27https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.96408
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Effectiveness of nurse-led cardiac rehabilitation programs following coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a systematic review2018 · 23 citations
  2. 2Effects of a nurse‐led transitional care programme on readmission, self‐efficacy to implement health‐promoting behaviours, functional status and life quality among Chinese patients with coronary artery disease: A randomised controlled trial2017 · 57 citations
  3. 3Technology-based comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation therapy for women in a middle-income setting: a randomized controlled trial2025 · 8 citations
  4. 4Current status and exploration of nurse-led cardiac telerehabilitation: a narrative review2025 · 2 citations
  5. 5Cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart disease: an overview of Cochrane systematic reviews2014 · 230 citations