title: Alternatives for cardiac rehabilitation patients unable to return to a hospital-based program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of a home exercise program using transtelephonic exercise monitoring (TEM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, two-group experimental, random assignment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban centered hospital and surrounding community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty cardiac rehabilitation patients entering a Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maximal oxygen consumption, blood pressure, pressure-rate product, workload.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty male cardiac patients were randomly enrolled in either a 12-week home- or hospital-based exercise program. Maximal exercise tolerance tests were conducted, before and after exercise intervention, on a computer-driven bicycle ergometer. Subjects trained 3 days per week for 12 weeks on a bicycle ergometer for a maximum of 35 minutes at 75% of maximum heart rate reserve or functional capacity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Posttraining results showed significant improvement in cardiac function for both groups. Two patients in the TEM group developed new arrhythmias while exercising that required medication changes; however, no medical emergencies arose in either exercise group. Independent Student t test showed no significant difference between groups before or after training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that TEM is an effective alternative for the rehabilitation of patients who are unable to return to a hospital-based program.
authors.affiliation: Saint Vincent Charity Hospital, Cleveland State University, OH 44115.
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hanigosky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vantrese
mesh_terms: D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017216:Telemedicine