Abstract
BackgroundExercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is recognized as a core component of cardiovascular disease management and has been shown to reduce all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and reduce the risk of hospital readmission following a cardiac event. However, despite this, the uptake of and long-term adherence to cardiac rehabilitation exercise is poor. Delivering cardiac rehabilitation exercise virtually (ie, allowing patients to participate from their own homes) may be an alternative approach that could enhance uptake and increase adherence.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the feasibility of delivering a virtual cardiac rehabilitation exercise program supported by the Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering – Cardiac Rehabilitation (ECME-CR) platform.MethodsA convenience sample (n=20) of participants eligible to participate in community-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise will be recruited. Participants will be randomized to one of two study groups. Both study groups will perform the same exercise program, consisting of twice-weekly sessions of 60 minutes each, over an 8-week intervention period. Participants in the intervention group will partake in virtually delivered cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes in their own home. The virtual exercise classes will be delivered to participants using a videoconferencing platform. Participants in the control group will attend the research center for their cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes. Intervention group participants will receive the ECME-CR digital health platform for monitoring during the class and during the intervention period. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and following the 8-week intervention period. The primary outcome will be exercise capacity as assessed using the 6-minute walk test. Other outcome measures will include heart rate, blood pressure, weight, percentage body fat, muscle strength, and self-reported quality of life. Semistructured interviews will also be conducted with a subset of participants to explore their experiences of using the digital platform.ResultsParticipant recruitment and data collection will begin in July 2021, and it is anticipated that the study results will be available for dissemination in spring 2022.ConclusionsThis pilot trial will inform the design of a randomized controlled trial that will assess the clinical effectiveness of the ECME-CR digital health platform.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/31855
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death globally with age, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes among the main risk factors
We present Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering – Cardiac Rehabilitation (ECME-Cardiac rehabilitation (CR)), an interactive digital health platform (Figure 1) for cardiac rehabilitation developed by the Eastern Corridor Medical Engineering (ECME) research team at NetwellCASALA, Dundalk Institute of Technology
Two off-the-shelf consumer devices, the Withings virtually delivered CR exercise program supported by the ScanWatch and the Withings BPM Connect, which are ECME-CR platform
Summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of death globally with age, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes among the main risk factors. Outside of the CR exercise sessions, participants can use the app to view data (blood pressure, heart rate, activity, and sleep) from digital devices (Figure 2, Figure 3). Two off-the-shelf consumer devices, the Withings virtually delivered CR exercise program supported by the ScanWatch and the Withings BPM Connect, which are ECME-CR platform. The effectiveness of the CR integrated with the platform and used to collect health and intervention will be compared with a control group of well-being data during the virtually delivered CR exercise individuals who will receive a traditional center-based CR class as well as during the intervention period. Both devices connect to the Withings Health examine the acceptability and safety of delivering CR. JMIR Res Protoc 2021 | vol 10 | iss. 10 | e31855 | p. 3 (page number not for citation purposes)
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