title: A new model of home-based telemonitored cardiac rehabilitation in patients with heart failure: effectiveness, quality of life, and adherence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite proven benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR), currently proposed CR models are not acceptable for many heart failure (HF) patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new model of home-based telemonitored cardiac rehabilitation (HTCR) using walking training compared with an outpatient-based standard cardiac rehabilitation (SCR) using interval training on a cycle ergometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 152 HF patients (aged 58.1 + or - 10.2 years, NYHA class II and III, ejection fraction < or = 40%) who were randomized to HTCR (n = 77) or SCR (n = 75). All patients underwent 8 weeks of CR. Both groups were comparable in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics and medical therapy. The effectiveness of CR was assessed by changes in NYHA class, peak oxygen consumption, 6-min walking test distance, and SF-36 score. Cardiac rehabilitation resulted in a significant improvement of all parameters in both groups. All patients in the HTCR group completed the 8 weeks of CR, whereas 15 patients in the SCR group (20%) discontinued CR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with HF, HTCR is equally as effective as SCR and provides a similar improvement in quality of life. Adherence to CR seems to be better for HTCR. Home-based telemonitored cardiac rehabilitation may be a useful alternative form of CR in patients with HF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Alpejska 42, Warsaw 04-628, Poland. epiotrowicz@ikard.pl
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piotrowicz
authors.forename: Rafal
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baranowski
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilinska
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stepnowska
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piotrowska
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wójcik
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korewicki
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chojnowska
authors.forename: Lukasz A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Malek
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klopotowski
authors.forename: Walerian
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Piotrowski
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piotrowicz
mesh_terms: D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking