Home-based cardiac rehabilitation for people with heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of home-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) for heart failure compared to either usual medical care (i.e. no CR) or centre-based CR on mortality, morbidity, exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, drop out, adherence rates, and costs. METHODS: Randomised controlled trials were initially identified from previous systematic reviews of CR. We undertook updated literature searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library to December 2015. A total of 19 trials with median follow up of 3months were included - 17 comparisons of home-based CR to usual care (995 patients) and four comparing home and centre-based CR (295 patients). RESULTS: Compared to usual care, home-based CR improved VO2max (mean difference: 1.6ml/kg/min, 0.8 to 2.4) and total Minnesota Living with Quality of Life score (-3.3, -7.5 to 1.0), with no difference in mortality, hospitalisation or study drop out. Outcomes and costs were similar between home-based and centre-based CR with the exception of higher levels of trial completion in the home-based group (relative risk: 1.2, 1.0 to 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: Home-based CR results in short-term improvements in exercise capacity and health-related quality of life of heart failure patients compared to usual care. The magnitude of outcome improvement is similar to centre-based CR. Home-based CR appears to be safe with no evidence of increased risk of hospitalisation or death. These findings support the provision of home-based CR for heart failure as an evidence-based alternative to the traditional centre-based model of provision.

Participant and caregiver experience of the Nintendo Wii Sports™ after stroke: qualitative study of the trial of Wii™ in stroke (TWIST).

OBJECTIVE: To understand stroke survivors and their caregivers' experience and acceptability of using the Nintendo Wii Sports™ games (Wii™) as a home-based arm rehabilitation tool. DESIGN: A qualitative study within a randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of using the Wii™ for arm rehabilitation. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. SETTINGS: Participants and carers were interviewed in their homes. SUBJECTS: Eleven male and seven female participants and 10 caregivers who were taking part in the randomized controlled trial within six months of stroke. Median age 65. INTERVENTION: All participants were using the Wii™ for arm rehabilitation. MAIN MEASURES: Semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Five themes were identified: diligence of play, perceived effectiveness, acceptability, caregiver and social support, and the set-up and administration of the Wii™. Participants appreciated the ability to maintain a social role and manage other comorbidities around the use of the Wii™. A small number of participants found the Mii characters too childlike for adult rehabilitation. The most popular game to start the rehabilitation programme was bowling. As confidence grew, tennis was the most popular, with baseball and boxing being the least popular games. Caregivers provided some practical support and encouragement to play the Wii™. CONCLUSIONS: The Wii™ may provide an engaging and flexible form of rehabilitation with relatively high reported usage rates in a home setting. The Wii™ was acceptable to this sample of patients and their caregivers in home-based rehabilitation of the arm following stroke.

Home-based cardiac rehabilitation versus hospital-based rehabilitation: a cost effectiveness analysis.

BACKGROUND: Home-based cardiac rehabilitation offers an alternative to traditional, hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. AIM: To compare the cost effectiveness of home-based cardiac rehabilitation and hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation. METHODS: 104 patients with an uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction and without major comorbidity were randomized to receive home-based rehabilitation (n=60) i.e. nurse facilitated, self-help package of 6 weeks' duration (the Heart Manual) or hospital-based rehabilitation for 8-10 weeks (n=44). Complete economic data were available in 80 patients (48 who received home-based rehabilitation and 32 who received hospital-based rehabilitation). Healthcare costs, patient costs, and quality of life (EQ-5D4.13) were assessed over the 9 months of the study. RESULTS: The cost of running the home-based rehabilitation programme was slightly lower than that of the hospital-based programme (mean (95% confidence interval) difference - 30 pounds sterling (- 45 pounds sterling to - 12 pounds sterling) [-44 euro, -67 euro to -18 euro] per patient. The cost difference was largely the result of reduced personnel costs. Over the 9 months of the study, no significant difference was seen between the two groups in overall healthcare costs (78 pounds sterling, - 1102 pounds sterling to 1191 pounds sterling [-115 euro, -1631 euro to -1763 euro] per patient) or quality adjusted life-years (-0.06 (-0.15 to 0.02)). The lack of significant difference between home-based rehabilitation and hospital-based rehabilitation did not alter when different costs and different methods of analysis were used. CONCLUSIONS: The health gain and total healthcare costs of the present hospital-based and home-based cardiac rehabilitation programmes for patients after myocardial infarction appear to be similar. These initial results require affirmation by further economic evaluations of cardiac rehabilitation in different settings.

Listening to patients: choice in cardiac rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after myocardial infarction (MI) are increasingly recognised and is recommended in national guidelines. AIMS: To explore patients' experience of MI and to identify the factors which influence the choice patients make given the option of hospital or home-based CR after MI. METHOD: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). This study was embedded within a randomised trial with preference arms. RESULTS: Seventeen participants were interviewed before their rehabilitation programme. Ten expressed a preference for home-based and seven for hospital-based rehabilitation. Common to both groups was shock and disbelief, which led to a loss of confidence. They expressed a strong desire to make lifestyle changes and looked for specific advice, guidance and support from knowledgeable experts. The hospital-based group had an emphasis on supervision during exercise, needed the camaraderie of a group, were willing to make travel arrangements and believed they lacked self-discipline. The home-based group believed that their CR should fit in with their lives rather than their lives fitting in with the rehabilitation programme and were self-disciplined. They disliked groups and expressed practical concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the factors that influence patient's choices may help professionals guide them to the most appropriate CR method and hence improve uptake.