Telerehabilitation and e-health implementation in the care of coronary artery disease patients

Abstract

Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short and long term effects of a telerehabilitation program on daily physical activity level, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk profile in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Design: Randomized controlled trial

Methods: 28 CAD patients were randomly assigned to a telerehabilitation group or control group. Intervention patients (N=14) wore a Yorbody motion sensor continuously for twenty-four weeks. Each week these patients received a step count goal and exercise- and nutritional recommendations. Control patients (N=14) wore an unreadable motion sensor three times for nine consecutive days during the first, sixth and twenty-fourth week of the study. At week one, week six and week twenty-four an ergospirometry, the IPAQ, the HeartQoL and body mass index were evaluated. A blood sample was taken at baseline and after twenty-four weeks.

Results: In the intervention group, HDL-cholesterol (p = 0,046), total cholesterol (p = 0,026) and HR max (p = 0.007) increased significant during follow-up. The number of steps showed significant differences between groups at week one (p = 0,001), week six (p = 0,002) and week twenty-four (p = 0,002). There is a significant increase in number of steps in the intervention group between week one and week six (p = 0,035).

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that CAD patients in a telerehabilitation program could improve the patient's number of steps and HRmax. In combination with regular recommendations a