Comparing In-Person and Telehealth Cardiac Rehabilitation for Adults With Heart Conditions

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of two different ways to provide cardiac rehabilitation to patients with heart conditions such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and coronary artery disease. The study aims to compare traditional in-person cardiac rehabilitation to a telehealth program to see if both methods have similar benefits and to identify which patients might benefit more from each approach. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will take part in a 12-week in-person cardiac rehabilitation program consisting of 36 group sessions including exercise, health education, and counseling. The other group will participate in a 12-week telehealth cardiac rehabilitation program with the same core components but delivered through weekly individual telehealth sessions without supervised in-person exercise. During the study, participants will be assessed at the start and followed up at 3, 12, and 24 months. Researchers will measure changes in physical abilities using a six-minute walk test, mental and physical health through questionnaires, anxiety and depression scores, blood pressure control, participation rates, and survival free of hospitalization for heart-related events. The total participation lasts up to 24 months with ongoing monitoring of health outcomes.

MCNAIR Study: coMparative effeCtiveness of iN-person and teleheAlth cardIac Rehabilitation