BACKGROUND: Home-based cardiac telerehabilitation (HBCT) is a feasible and effective alternative to traditional center-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR). Currently, there are only limited studies focusing on a long-term effect of HBCT, which means it is essential to do more research in this study field. AIM: This study aimed at investigating a 1-year effect of a randomized controlled study using Cardiac Rehabilitation through the Global Position System (CR-GPS) compared to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Study focused on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with coronary heart disease (CAD). DESIGN: A long-term follow-up of a randomized study. SETTING: Patients were enrolled, and the intervention was performed in an outpatient or home-based model. The results were obtained and evaluated in a hospital. POPULATION: Patients who participated in the CR-GPS study were diagnosed with CAD with low to moderate cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Patients enrolled in the study were eligible participants who had previously completed a 12-week HBCT program using a wrist heart rate (HR) monitor or attended a traditional CBCR. Primary outcome was the change in CRF expressed in peak oxygen uptake (pVO2), and the secondary outcomes were self-reported HRQL, objectively measured anthropometric characteristics, and mortality and hospitalization rates. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (76%) completed the long-term follow-up. The average peak of pVO2 was higher after 1-year follow-up in the telerehabilitation group (HBCT 25.5 mL/kg/min compared to the active control group CBCR 23.6 mL/kg/min P=0.047). No statistically significant difference between the two groups was found after long-term follow-up for the parameter HRQL. For both groups, there was a significant improvement in the range of perceptions of general health. There was no death case and no difference in hospitalization rate between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the HBCT model. It has been demonstrated that it induces satisfactory long-term effects in pVO2, exercise performance, and perceived general health in CAD patients with low to moderate cardiovascular risk. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Cardiovascular telerehabilitation using wrist HR monitors is a feasible and effective rehabilitation method that can help patients eliminate barriers that prevent them from using CBCR programs. Especially in the current global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic is becoming increasingly important.

1st Department of Internal Medicine and Cardioangiology Institutions shared with St Anne's Faculty Hospital Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Public Health Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

Department of Rehabilitation University Hospital of Brno Brno Czech Republic

References provided by Crossref.org

Effect of exercise-based cancer rehabilitation via telehealth: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Technology-assisted cardiac rehabilitation for coronary heart disease patients with central obesity: a randomized controlled trial

Efficacy of supervised home-based, real time, videoconferencing telerehabilitation in patients with type 2 diabetes: a single-blind randomized controlled trial

The cost-effectiveness of exercise-based cardiac telerehabilitation intervention: a systematic review

Efficacy, efficiency and safety of a cardiac telerehabilitation programme using wearable sensors in patients with coronary heart disease: the TELEWEAR-CR study protocol

Validity and Reliability of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale in the Czech Republic (CRBS-CZE): Determination of Key Barriers in East-Central Europe