Determinants of participation in cardiac telerehabilitation during the first surge of COVID-19

Abstract

Background

Participation rates in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are low. In multiple trials, telerehabilitation (TR) has been demonstrated to be effective. Still, real-life evidence is scarce. During the first surge of the COVID-19 pandemic our centre deployed a TR programme. This study aimed to characterise the patient population that had, for the first time, the opportunity to participate in cardiac TR and to analyse if there were determining factors for participation or non-participation in TR.

Methods

All patients enrolled in CR in our centre during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic were included in this retrospective cohort study. Data was collected from the hospital electronic records.

Results

369 patients were contacted in the setting of TR. 69 patients could not be reached and were excluded from further analysis. 208 (69%) patients that were contacted agreed to participate in cardiac TR. No significant differences in baseline characteristics were seen between TR participants and TR non-participants. A full model logistic regression did not reveal any significant determinants on participation rate in TR.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the rate of participation in TR was high (69%). Of the analysed characteristics, none was directly correlated with the willingness to participate in TR. Further research is needed to further assess determinants, barriers and facilitators of TR. Also, research is needed on better delineating digital health literacy and on how to reach also those patients that are less motivated and or less digitally literate.

Keywords:

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• telerehabilitation
• remote rehabilitation
• participation rates
• digital health
• willingness to participate

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

PD received funding through the Horizons 2020 CoroPrevention project, project number 848056. MF received funding through the Flanders Research Foundation FWO, file number 1SE1222N.