Pilot Testing of an Online Rehabilitation Intervention Aiming to Support People With Heart Failure.

The inability of the heart to pump out blood to the rest of the body organs is called heart failure (HF). HF affects almost 920,000 people in the UK, costing the NHS up to £2.33bn/year. Physical exercise programmes aiming to improve the heart's ability to pump out blood are used to a) reduce the risk of life-threatening events (e.g., heart attack), b) reduce admissions to hospital and c) improve individual's physical independence (e.g., walking unsupported, being able toperform daily essential activities). However, these physical exercise programmes have been cut short under the current COVID-19 pandemic, with support in most UK regions being restricted to online videos and advice. With many people with HF being asked to be "shielded" or "self-isolate" for an unknown duration, it is important to develop a reliable and cost-effective physical exercise service to support this clinical group. The research team has developed a novel physical exercise programme, fully-delivered online. Before assessing if it could improve clinical outcomes (e.g., heart's ability to pump out blood) and how cost-effective it could be, a 10-month pilot study is proposed that will assess if the proposed online physical exercise programme could be performed in people with HF. Thirty participants will be allocated at random into two groups: Group A will receive up to 24 exercise sessions and up-to 3 lifestyle workshops, in addition to usual care over a 2-month period. Group B will receive a self-care exercise programme (≥3 sessions per week) for a two-month period in addition to usual care. Prior to the group random allocation, online assessments will be performed including demographics and clinical history, the ability to perform daily activities, sedentary or physical activity habits and quality of life. The assessments including interviews to assess participant's experiences will be repeated at 2 months