Most cited article - PubMed ID 35533492
Safety of home-based cardiac rehabilitation: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: This study examines the perspectives of individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD) on a nurse-led eHealth cardiac rehabilitation (NeCR) program, which included a website, tele-monitoring device, and social media chatroom. METHODS: Using a descriptive qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants to capture their feedback and experiences with the NeCR program. RESULTS: Participants found the NeCR program valuable in addressing gaps in cardiac rehabilitation services in China, empowering them to make behavioral changes and enhancing their social motivation. However, they also highlighted the need for a more user-friendly website, better symptom management during exercise, and stronger privacy protections in the peer networking chatroom. The study concludes that the NeCR program is feasible in providing accessible rehabilitative services at home post-discharge. Recommendations include improving the self-monitoring platform for ease of use, incorporating immediate symptom management guidance during exercise, and ensuring a secure environment for online peer support. CONCLUSIONS: These findings offer crucial insights for developing patient-centered eHealth cardiac rehabilitation services, emphasizing the importance of user-friendly design, effective symptom management features, and privacy protection in promoting participant engagement with e-platforms. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800020411 (http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=33906).
- Keywords
- behavioral change, cardiac rehabilitation, coronary heart disease, eHealth, patient‐centered care,
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Cardiac Rehabilitation * methods MeSH
- Coronary Disease rehabilitation nursing MeSH
- Qualitative Research * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Interviews as Topic MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Telemedicine * MeSH
- Feedback MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- China MeSH
BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly being used in contemporary health care provision owing to its portability, accessibility, ability to facilitate communication, improved interprofessional collaboration, and benefits for health outcomes. However, there is limited discourse on patient safety in real-world mHealth implementation, especially as care settings extend beyond traditional center-based technology usage to home-based care. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore health care professionals' perspectives on the safety aspects of mHealth integration in real-world service provision, focusing on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Wuhan city in mainland China. In Hong Kong SAR, real-world mHealth care provision is largely managed by the Hospital Authority, which has released various mobile apps for home-based care, such as Stoma Care, Hip Fracture, and HA Go. In contrast, mHealth care provision in Wuhan is institutionally directed, with individual hospitals or departments using consultation apps, WeChat mini-programs, and the WeChat Official Accounts Platform (a subapp within the WeChat ecosystem). METHODS: A multicenter qualitative study design was used. A total of 27 participants, including 22 nurses and 5 physicians, from 2 different health care systems were interviewed individually. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 32.19 (SD 3.74) years, and the mean working experience was 8.04 (SD 4.05) years. Most participants were female (20/27, 74%). Nearly half of the participants had a bachelor's degree (13/27, 48%), some had a master's degree (9/27, 33%), and few had a diploma degree (3/27, 11%) or a doctoral degree (2/27, 7%). Four themes emerged from the data analysis. Considering the current uncertainties surrounding mHealth implementation, participants emphasized "liability" concerns when discussing patient safety. They emphasized the need for "change management," which includes appropriate referral processes, adequate resources and funding, informed mHealth usage, and efficient working processes. They cautioned about the risks in providing mHealth information without ensuring understanding, appreciated the current regulations available, and identified additional regulations that should be considered to ensure information security. CONCLUSIONS: As health care systems increasingly adopt mHealth solutions globally to enhance both patient care and operational efficiency, it becomes crucial to understand the implications for patient safety in these new care models. Health care professionals recognized the importance of patient safety in making mHealth usage reliable and sustainable. The promotion of mHealth should be accompanied by the standardization of mHealth services with institutional, health care system, and policy-level support. This includes fostering mHealth acceptance among health care professionals to encourage appropriate referrals, accommodate changes, ensure patient comprehension, and proactively identify and address threats to information security.
- Keywords
- mHealth, mobile health, mobile health technologies, patient safety, qualitative study, real-world implementation,
- MeSH
- Patient Safety * MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Qualitative Research MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mobile Applications MeSH
- Telemedicine * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Geographicals
- China MeSH
- Hong Kong MeSH
PURPOSE: Exercise-based cancer rehabilitation via digital technologies can provide a promising alternative to centre-based exercise training, but data for cancer patients and survivors are limited. We conducted a meta-analysis examining the effect of telehealth exercise-based cancer rehabilitation in cancer survivors on cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, muscle strength, health-related quality of life, and self-reported symptoms. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and reference lists of articles related to the aim were searched up to March 2023. Randomized controlled clinical trials were included comparing the effect of telehealth exercise-based cancer rehabilitation with guideline-based usual care in adult cancer survivors. The primary result was cardiorespiratory fitness expressed by peak oxygen consumption. RESULTS: A total of 1510 participants were identified, and ten randomized controlled trials (n = 855) were included in the meta-analysis. The study sample was 85% female, and the mean age was 52.7 years. Meta-analysis indicated that telehealth exercise-based cancer rehabilitation significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI 0.20, 0.49, I2 = 42%, p < 0.001) and physical activity (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI, 0.17, 0.51, I2 = 71%, p < 0.001). It was uncertain whether telehealth exercise-based cancer rehabilitation, compared with guideline-based usual care, improved the quality of life (SMD = 0.23, 95%CI, -0.07, 0.52, I2 = 67%, p = 0.14) body mass index (MD = 0.46, 95% CI, -1.19, 2.12, I2 = 60%, p = 0.58) and muscle strength (SMD = 0.07, 95% CI, -0.14, 0.28, I2 = 37%, p = 0.51). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed that telehealth exercise cancer rehabilitation could significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity levels and decrease fatigue. It is uncertain whether these interventions improve quality of life and muscle strength. High-quality and robust studies are needed to investigate specific home-based exercise regimens in different cancer subgroups to increase the certainty of the evidence.
- Keywords
- Cancer rehabilitation, Exercise-based rehabilitation, Home-based exercise, Telehealth,
- MeSH
- Exercise MeSH
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness * MeSH
- Quality of Life * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neoplasms * rehabilitation MeSH
- Cancer Survivors MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic MeSH
- Muscle Strength * MeSH
- Telemedicine MeSH
- Telerehabilitation MeSH
- Exercise Therapy * methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Meta-Analysis MeSH
- Systematic Review MeSH
In the evolving landscape of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), adopting digital technologies, including synchronous/real-time digital interventions and smart applications, has emerged as a transformative approach. These technologies offer real-time health data access, continuous vital sign monitoring, and personalized educational enhanced patient self-management and engagement. Despite their potential benefits, challenges and limitations exist, necessitating careful consideration. Synchronous/real-time digital CR involves remote, two-way audiovisual communication, addressing issues of accessibility and promoting home-based interventions. Smart applications extend beyond traditional healthcare, providing real-time health data and fostering patient empowerment. Wearable devices and mobile apps enable continuous monitoring, tracking of rehabilitation outcomes, and facilitate lifestyle modifications crucial for cardiac health maintenance. As digital CR progresses, ensuring patient access, equitable implementation, and addressing the digital divide becomes paramount. Artificial intelligence holds promise in the early detection of cardiac events and tailoring patient-specific CR programs. However, challenges such as digital literacy, data privacy, and security must be addressed to ensure inclusive implementation. Moreover, the shift toward digital CR raises concerns about cost, safety, and potential depersonalization of therapeutic relationships. A transformative shift towards technologically enabled CR necessitates further research, focusing not only on technological advancements but also on customization to meet diverse patient needs. Overcoming challenges related to cost, safety, data security, and potential depersonalization is crucial for the widespread adoption of digital CR. Future studies should explore integrating moral values into digital therapeutic relationships and ensure that digital CR is accessible, equitable, and seamlessly integrated into routine cardiac care. Theoretical frameworks that accommodate the dynamic quality of real-time monitoring and feedback feature of digital CR interventions should be considered to guide intervention development.
OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the safety and the long-term mortality and morbidity risk-rates of the remotely-delivered cardiac rehabilitation (RDCR) interventions in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. METHODS: The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42023455471). Five databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in the Cochrane Library, Cinahl and Web of Science) were reviewed from January 2012 up to August 2023. Inclusion criteria were: (a) randomized controlled trials, (b) RDCR implementation of at least 12 weeks duration, (c) assessment of safety, rates of serious adverse events (SAEs) and re-hospitalization incidences at endpoints more than 6 months. Three reviewers independently performed data extraction and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. RESULTS: 14 studies were identified involving 2012 participants and a range of RDCR duration between 3 months to 1 year. The incidence rate of exercise-related SAEs was estimated at 1 per 53,770 patient-hours of RDCR exercise. A non-statistically significant reduction in the re-hospitalization rates and the days lost due to hospitalization was noticed in the RDCR groups. There were no exercise-related deaths. The overall study quality was of low risk. CONCLUSIONS: RDCR can act as a safe alternative delivery mode of cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The low long-term rates of reported SAEs and re-hospitalization incidences of the RDCR could enhance the uptake rates of CR interventions. However, further investigation is needed in larger populations and longer assessment points.
- Keywords
- Cardiac rehabilitation, coronary heart disease, digital cardiac rehabilitation, digital health, morbidity, mortality rate, remote, safety, systematic review,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
BACKGROUND: Exercise-based interventions prevent or delay symptoms and complications of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and are highly recommended for T2D patients; though with very low participation rates. Τelerehabilitation (TR) could act as an alternative to overcome the barriers preventing the promotion of T2D patients' well-being. AIM: Determine the effects of a six-week TR program on glycemic control, functional capacity, muscle strength, PA, quality of life and body composition in patients with T2D. DESIGN: A multicenter randomized, single-blind, parallel-group clinical study. SETTING: Clinical trial. POPULATION: Patients with T2D. METHODS: Thirty T2D patients (75% male, 60.1±10.9 years) were randomly allocated to an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG) with no exercise intervention. IG enrolled in a supervised, individualized exercise program (combination of aerobic and resistance exercises), 3 times/week for 6 weeks at home via a TR platform. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), six-minute walk test (6MWT), muscle strength (Hand Grip Strength Test [HGS], 30-Second Chair Stand test [30CST] physical activity [IPAQ-SF]), quality of life (SF-36) and anthropometric variables were assessed. RESULTS: Two-way repeated-ANOVA showed a statistically significant interaction between group, time and test differences (6MWT, muscle strength) (V=0.33, F [2.17]=4.14, P=0.03, partial η2=0.22). Paired samples t-test showed a statistically significant improvement in HbA1c (Z=-2.7), 6MWT (Μean ∆=-36.9±27.2 m, t=-4.5), muscle strength (Μean ∆=-1.5±1.4 kg, t=-2.22). Similarly, SF-36 (mental health [Μean ∆=-13.3±21.3%], general health [Μean ∆
- MeSH
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 * MeSH
- Glycated Hemoglobin MeSH
- Single-Blind Method MeSH
- Quality of Life MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Hand Strength MeSH
- Telerehabilitation * MeSH
- Exercise Therapy MeSH
- Videoconferencing MeSH
- Check Tag
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Glycated Hemoglobin MeSH
INTRODUCTION: Alternatives such as remotely delivered therapy in the home environment or telehealth represent an opportunity to increase overall cardiac rehabilitation (CR) utilization. Implementing alternatives into regular practice is the next step in development; however, the cost aspect is essential for policymakers. Limited economic budgets lead to cost-effectiveness analyses before implementation. They are appropriate in cases where there is evidence that the compared intervention provides a similar health benefit to usual care. This systematic review aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of exercise-based telehealth CR interventions compared to standard exercise-based CR. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed and Web of Science databases were systematically searched up to August 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials assessing patients undergoing telehealth CR. The intervention was compared to standard CR protocols. The primary intent was to identify the cost-effectiveness. Interventions that met the criteria were home-based telehealth CR interventions delivered by information and communications technology (telephone, computer, internet, or videoconferencing) and included the results of an economic evaluation, comparing interventions in terms of cost-effectiveness, utility, costs and benefits, or cost-minimization analysis. The systematic review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO Registry (CRD42022322531). EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Out of 1525 identified studies, 67 articles were assessed for eligibility, and, at the end of the screening process, 12 studies were included in the present systematic review. Most studies (92%) included in this systematic review found strong evidence that exercise-based telehealth CR is cost-effective. Compared to CBCR, there were no major differences, except for three studies evaluating a significant difference in average cost per patient and intervention costs in favor of telehealth CR. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth CR based on exercise is as cost-effective as CBCR interventions. Funding telehealth CR by third-party payers may promote patient participation to increase overall CR utilization. High-quality research is needed to identify the most cost-effective design.
- MeSH
- Cost-Benefit Analysis MeSH
- Exercise MeSH
- Cardiac Rehabilitation * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Telemedicine * MeSH
- Telerehabilitation * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Systematic Review MeSH
PURPOSE: Cardiovascular disease is a competing mortality cause in hematological cancer survivors due to toxic oncological treatment, accumulation of risk factors, and decline of cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardio-oncology rehabilitation (CORE) is an emerging treatment model to optimize the prognosis of hematological cancer patients and survivors; however, its accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic is poor. The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effect of a 12-week home-based CORE intervention in telerehabilitation approach among hematological cancer survivors. METHODS: A prospective single-arm interventional study was conducted at a faculty hospital in Brno, Czech Republic. This study provided 12 weeks of the home-based CORE using a telerehabilitation approach that allows remote supervision by a clinician from a medical facility. The telerehabilitation approach consists of three components: a heart rate sensor (PolarM430, Kempele, Finland), a web platform compatible with the sensor, and telesupervising via telephone call (1 call per week). To improve adherence, a physiotherapist called participants to assess or address adverse effects, exercise feedback, and participant-related concerns. The anthropometry, body composition, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured immediately after the intervention. RESULTS: Eleven hematological cancer survivors with an average age of 60.3 ± 10 years participated in the study. Most participants were diagnosed with Follicular lymphoma and received maintenance treatment. Participants had a significant (p < 0.05) increase in cardiorespiratory fitness by 2.6 ml/kg/min; and in peak workload, from 143.3 ± 60.6 W to 158.6 ± 67.5 W (p < 0.05). Improvement in anthropometry and body composition was observed but yielded no statistical significance. Most (80%) participants completed the three times/per week telesupervising exercise session for 12 weeks.No adverse event was identified. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that home-based CORE may provide hematological cancer survivors with an increase in CRF during the rehabilitation period after hospital discharge. The telerehabilitation CORE model is effective, feasible, safe, and has demonstrated good adherence. Further randomized controlled efficacy study with larger sample size is needed before clinical implementation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration number NCT04822389 (30/03/2021).
- Keywords
- Cardio-oncology rehabilitation, Cardiorespiratory fitness, Home-based exercise, Telemonitoring, Telerehabilitation,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
A tele-assessed 6MWT (TL 6MWT) could be an alternative method of evaluating functional capacity in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a TL 6MWT. The functional capacity of 28 patients with DM2 (75% men) aged 61 ± 13 years was evaluated twice via an indoor, center-based 6MWT (CB 6MWT) and twice outside each patient's home via a web-based platform TL 6MWT. The study showed a high statistically significant correlation between the CB and TL 6MWT (Pearson's r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Reliability testing showed no statistically significant differences in the distance covered (CB1: 492 ± 84 m and CB2: 506 ± 86 m versus TL1: 534 ± 87 m and TL2: 542 ± 93 m, respectively) and in the best distance of the TL 6MWT (545 ± 93 m) compared to the best CB distance (521 ± 83 m). Strong internal reliability for both the CB (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.93) and the TL 6MWT (ICC = 0.98) was found. The results indicate that a TL 6MWT performed outdoors can be a highly valid and reliable tool to assess functional capacity in patients with DM2. No learning effect between the TL and CB assessment was found, minimizing the need for repetition.
- Keywords
- diabetes mellitus, functional capacity, remote assessment, six-minute walk test, tele-assessment, telehealth assessment,
- MeSH
- Walking * MeSH
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Walk Test methods MeSH
- Exercise Test methods MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is a highly recommended intervention towards the advancement of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients' health profile; though with low participation rates. Although home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) with the use of wearable sensors is proposed as a feasible alternative rehabilitation model, further investigation is needed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of wearable sensors-assisted HBCR in improving the CVD patients' cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and health profile. PubMed, Scopus, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO were searched from 2010 to January 2022, using relevant keywords. A total of 14 randomized controlled trials, written in English, comparing wearable sensors-assisted HBCR to center-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) or usual care (UC), were included. Wearable sensors-assisted HBCR significantly improved CRF when compared to CBCR (Hedges' g = 0.22, 95% CI 0.06, 0.39; I2 = 0%; p = 0.01), whilst comparison of HBCR to UC revealed a nonsignificant effect (Hedges' g = 0.87, 95% CI -0.87, 1.85; I2 = 96.41%; p = 0.08). Effects on physical activity, quality of life, depression levels, modification of cardiovascular risk factors/laboratory parameters, and adherence were synthesized narratively. No significant differences were noted. Technology tools are growing fast in the cardiac rehabilitation era and promote exercise-based interventions into a more home-based setting. Wearable-assisted HBCR presents the potential to act as an adjunct or an alternative to CBCR.
- Keywords
- accelerometer, cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular disease, home-based cardiac rehabilitation, physical activity, wearable sensors,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
