JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended for coronary heart disease (CHD). However poor uptake of, and poor adherence to CR exercise programs have been reported globally. Delivering CR exercise classes remotely may remove some of the barriers associated with traditional hospital or center-based CR.

Objective:

We have developed a digital platform, ECME-CR to support remotely delivered CR exercise classes. This paper presents a pilot trial which was conducted to test this platform, to examine the efficacy of a remote CR exercise program, and to examine the feasibility of this approach.

Methods:

A sample of CHD participants (n = 21, 18 males; age: 69.5 ± 7.3 years; height: 168.5 ± 7.2cm; weight: 88.7 ± 16.7kg) were recruited and assigned to either an intervention or a control group. Both groups performed the same 8-week exercise program. Participants in the intervention group took part in online exercise classes, while participants in the control group attended in-person for their exercise classes. Intervention group participants used the ECME-CR platform for monitoring during the class and for self-management during the intervention period. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and following the 8-week intervention, with the primary outcome measure being exercise capacity.

Results:

Eight participants in the intervention group and nine participants in the control group completed the CR exercise program. Similar improvements in exercise capacity, the primary outcome measure, were observed in both the intervention and the control group after the 8-week intervention. These improvements were not significant and there was no significant difference observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

A remotely delivered CR exercise program is not inferior to a traditional center-based CR exercise program in CHD participants.