Transition to Cardiac Rehabilitation (T2CR) to Address Barriers of Multimorbidity and Frailty

Launched by VA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT · Jan 29, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called the Transition to Cardiac Rehabilitation (T2CR), is studying how to help Veterans with heart problems better participate in cardiac rehabilitation programs. Cardiac rehabilitation is an important program that helps patients recover and improve their heart health after serious heart issues. Unfortunately, many Veterans face challenges that make it hard for them to join these programs, like other health conditions or difficulties getting to appointments. The T2CR program is designed to provide support and education to Veterans while they are in the hospital, so they can build the skills and motivation needed to successfully join a home-based rehabilitation program later on.

To participate in this trial, Veterans must be hospitalized with specific heart conditions, such as heart attacks or heart failure, and should be open to considering cardiac rehabilitation. Participants will be enrolled while in the hospital and may need to stay for an extra couple of days for the study. They will be compared to a group that receives standard care to see how well they improve their health and participate in rehabilitation over a year. It's important to note that certain individuals, such as those with severe cognitive issues or unstable health conditions, will not be eligible for the study. This trial aims to improve the overall experience and outcomes for Veterans with heart disease, ensuring they receive the necessary support for their recovery.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• * Eligible candidates will consist of male and female Veterans hospitalized with:
• • ischemic heart disease (acute myocardial infarction or stable ischemia)
• • revascularization (coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention)
• • valvular heart disease (surgical or percutaneous intervention for mitral regurgitation or aortic stenosis)
• • or heart failure (with reduced or preserved ejection fraction)
• • All will be recruited while initially hospitalized and must express willingness to consider cardiac rehabilitation as a treatment option, including the possibility of the intervention which could possibly extend the length of their hospitalization (for 2 days maximum).
• • Study candidates must also be English speaking and able to provide written informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Veterans with unstable medical condition as indicated by history, physical exam, and/or laboratory findings end-stage disease likely to be fatal within 12 months
• • severe cognitive impairment (MiniCog score 0-2)
• • history of addictive or behavioral issues that confound safe administration of HBCR
• • hearing loss that interferes with participation in the trial
• • living in a long-term care living situation prior to the time of hospitalization, no plans to return to independent living after the hospitalization