Improving Delivery of Patient-Centered Cardiac Rehabilitation

The long-term goal of this research is to improve patient-centered outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is the leading cause of death in the world. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs decrease mortality and improve quality of life in patients with CHD. Published guidelines recommend exercise-based CR following hospitalization for myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, or percutaneous coronary revascularization, and referral to CR is one of nine performance measures established by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology for patients with CHD.

Despite these compelling benefits, CR programs are vastly underutilized, with less than a third of eligible patients participating. The largest barrier to patient participation is that CR must be provided in a physician's office or hospital setting to qualify for reimbursement. For this reason, virtually all existing CR programs require that the patient travel to a CR center 3 times per week for 12 to 36 weeks. Unfortunately, many Americans live too far from a CR center to enroll, and even when nearby programs are available, many patients do not have the time, flexibility, transportation, social support, and/or financial resources to attend.

One promising solution to the problem of CR under-utilization is greater implementation of home-based CR. Both home and center-based CR programs have equal benefits on cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life. However, similar efficacy does not necessarily translate into similar effectiveness. If patients are more likely to participate in home- vs. center-based therapy, then greater participation could lead to greater clinical effectiveness. We are therefore conducting a quasi-experimental, controlled trial at two VA medical centers to determine the comparative effectiveness of referral to home- vs. center-based CR in patients with CHD.

Aim 1: Determine whether automatic referral to home- vs. center-based CR increases patient participation in CR after hospitalization for myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization.

Aim 2: Among patients who choose to participate in CR, compare the effectiveness of home- vs. centerbased CR on six-minute walk distance, quality of life, and healthcare expenditures.