Patients' preference for exercise setting and its influence on the health benefits gained from exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation

Lars H Tang, Selina Kikkenborg Berg, Jan Christensen, Jannik Lawaetz, Patrick Doherty, Rod S Taylor, Henning Langberg, Ann-Dorthe Zwisler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To assess patient preference for exercise setting and examine if choice of setting influences the long-term health benefit of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation.

METHODS: Patients participating in a randomised controlled trial following either heart valve surgery, or radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation were given the choice to perform a 12-week exercise programme in either a supervised centre-based, or a self-management home-based setting. Exercise capacity and physical and mental health outcomes were assessed for up to 24months after hospital discharge. Outcomes between settings were compared using a time×setting interaction using a mixed effects regression model.

RESULTS: Across the 158 included patients, an equivalent proportion preferred to undertake exercise rehabilitation in a centre-based setting (55%, 95% CI: 45% to 63%) compared to a home-based setting (45%, 95% CI: 37% to 53%, p=0.233). At baseline, those who preferred a home-based setting reported better physical health (mean difference in physical component score: 5.0, 95% CI 2.3 to 7.4; p=0.001) and higher exercise capacity (mean between group difference 15.9watts, 95% CI 3.7 to 28.1; p=0.011). With the exception of the depression score in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (F(3.65), p=0.004), there was no evidence of a significant difference in outcomes between settings.

CONCLUSION: The preference of patients to participate in home-based and centre-based exercise programmes appears to be equivalent and provides similar health benefits. Whilst these findings support that patients should be given the choice between exercise-settings when initiating cardiac rehabilitation, further confirmatory evidence is needed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)33-39
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Journal of Cardiology
Early online date27 Jan 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2017

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© Elsevier, 2017. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details

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