title: Effectiveness of follow-up booster sessions in improving physical status after cardiac rehabilitation: health, behavioral, and clinical outcomes.
abstract: There is limited research on booster interventions designed to maintain/improve health outcomes following cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a booster intervention on health, behavioral, and clinical physical status outcomes among CR graduates randomly assigned to one of three groups: structured educational/counseling sessions by telephone ( n = 24), clinic ( n = 20), or usual care ( n = 20). The sessions were provided at 3 and 9 weeks following Phase II CR. A repeated measures experimental design was used to examine outcomes at baseline (completion of CR) and at 3 and 6 months. Although the effects of the booster interventions were not significant, there was evidence to suggest that a booster intervention, compared with usual care, had a positive effect on patients' physical functioning, adherence to the exercise program, frequency of exercise, heart rate, and blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA. bcyates@unmc.edu
authors.forename: Bernice C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Melody
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hertzog
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000451:nursing; D003376:Counseling; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome