Cardiac rehabilitation program: An exploration of patient experiences and perspectives on program dropout.
Monica Lee, Timothy Wood, Sammy Chan and 4 others
PMID 35040245WHAT IT FOUND
Patients who left cardiac rehab valued peer support and routine, but stopped because breathlessness, fear, travel, time demands, and exercise that felt too slow or too easy.
Ask about these before assuming patients are nonadherent.
Key findings
01New physical limitations and fear about doing the exercise made it hard for participants to continue cardiac rehabilitation.
02Participants valued motivation, peer support, structure, and routine provided by the program.
03Time commitment and a one-size-fits-all exercise program were reported barriers to completion.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants came from one large urban hospital, so views may not match rural or smaller programs. Only 23 of the 339 consented patients completed interviews, and 248 declined, so other reasons for dropout may be missing. The sample included 15 men among 23 participants, and the authors note women were underrepresented. Interviews were conducted up to 2 years after dropout, so some details may not be recalled.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported barriers and preferences as proof that flexible, personalized, or community-based cardiac rehabilitation reduces dropout. The study explored experiences of 23 patients and did not test any program change.