title: Telerehab III: a multi-center randomized, controlled trial investigating the long-term effectiveness of a comprehensive cardiac telerehabilitation program--rationale and study design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Telerehabilitation has been proposed as an adjunct/alternative to standard center-based cardiac rehabilitation. Two recent systematic reviews showed non-inferiority and/or superiority of this remote approach for cardiac rehabilitation. However, these trials focused only on one core component of cardiac rehabilitation and telemonitoring, rather than implementing a more comprehensive approach. The aim of Telerehab III is to investigate the long-term effectiveness of the addition of a patient-tailored, internet-based telerehabilitation program implementing multiple cardiac rehabilitation core components and using both telemonitoring and telecoaching strategies to standard cardiac rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, multi-center randomized, controlled trial 140 patients with coronary artery disease and/or chronic heart failure patients will be recruited between February 2013 and February 2015. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to an intervention group (receiving an internet-based telerehabilitation program in addition to standard cardiac rehabilitation) or to standard cardiac rehabilitation alone. The mean follow-up is at least 6 months. The primary endpoint is peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak). Secondary endpoints include measured and self-reported daily physical activity, cardiovascular risk factor control, health-related quality of life, days lost due to (non)cardiovascular rehospitalizations and time to first (non)cardiovascular rehospitalization. A clinical event committee blinded to treatment allocation assesses causes of rehospitalizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Telerehab III will be one of the first studies to examine the added value of a more comprehensive cardiac telerehabilitation program, focusing on multiple cardiac rehabilitation core components. It has the potential to augment current standard center-based cardiac rehabilitation practices and to be used as a model for other disease prevention programs.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current controlled trials ISRCTN29243064. Registration date 21 January 2015.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Jessa Hospital, Stadsomvaart 11, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium. ines.frederix@gmail.com.|Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium. ines.frederix@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frederix
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Jessa Hospital, Stadsomvaart 11, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium. dominique.hansen@jessazh.be.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, Expertise Center for Digital Media, Hasselt University, Wetenschapspark 2, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium. karin.coninx@uhasselt.be.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coninx
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium. pieter.vandervoort@zol.be.|Department of Cardiology, Hospital East-Limburg, Schiepse Bos 6, 3600, Genk, Belgium. pieter.vandervoort@zol.be.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vandervoort
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium. emeline.vancraenenbroeck@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Emeline M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Van Craenenbroeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium. christiaan.vrints@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Christiaan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vrints
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Jessa Hospital, Stadsomvaart 11, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium. paul.dendale@jessazh.be.|Faculty of Medicine & Life Sciences, Hasselt University, Agoralaan gebouw D, 3590, Diepenbeek, Belgium. paul.dendale@jessazh.be.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dendale
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004032:Diet; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000069350:Telerehabilitation / Q000379:methods*