title: Feasibility of home-based cardiac telerehabilitation: Results of TeleInterMed study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is recommended as an important component of a comprehensive approach to cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients. Data have shown that a small percentage of eligible patients participate in CR despite their well established benefits. Applying telerehabilitation provides an opportunity to improve the implementation of and adherence to CR. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a wide implementation and feasibility of home-based cardiac telerehabilitation (HTCR) in patients suffering from CVD and to assessits safety, patients' acceptance of and adherence to HTCR.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 365 patients (left ventricular ejection fraction 56 ± 8%; aged 58 ± 10 years). They participated in 4-week HTCR based on walking, nordic walking or cycloergometer training. HTCR was telemonitored with a device adjusted to register electrocardiogram (ECG) recording and to transmit data via mobile phone to the monitoring center. The moments of automatic ECG registration were pre-set and coordinated with CR. The influence on physical capacity was assessed by comparing changes - in time of exercise test, functional capacity, 6-min walking test distance from the beginning and the end of HTCR. At the end of the study, patients filled in a questionnaire in order to assess their acceptance of HTCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HTCR resulted in a significant improvement in all parameters. There were neither deaths nor adverse events during HTCR. Patients accepted HTCR, including the need for interactive everyday collaboration with the monitoring center. There were only 0.8% non-adherent patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HTCR is a feasible, safe form of rehabilitation, well accepted by patients. The adherence to HTCR was high and promising.
authors: Telecardiology Center, Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland. epiotrowicz@ikard.pl.
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Piotrowicz
authors: Iwona
authors: I
authors: Korzeniowska-Kubacka
authors: Agnieszka
authors: A
authors: Chrapowicka
authors: Jadwiga
authors: J
authors: Wolszakiewicz
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Dobraszkiewicz-Wasilewska
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Batogowski
authors: Walerian
authors: W
authors: Piotrowski
authors: Ryszard
authors: R
authors: Piotrowicz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D000069350:Telerehabilitation / Q000379:methods*