Hospital-based versus community-based shared care cardiac rehabilitation after acute coronary syndrome: protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Introduction: Participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is poor although CR reduces morbidity and mortality. One way in which attendance may potentially be improved is by involving municipal health-care centres (MHCC) and the patient's general practitioner (GP) to a larger degree in a model of shared care cardiac rehabilitation (SC-CR). Our study tests the feasibility of SC-CR and compares the attendance and effects of SC-CR with the individually tailored hospital-based CR (H-CR) programme.

Material and methods: After admission for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are randomized to phase II CR which is conducted either as SC-CR or H-CR. During SC-CR the patient is seen once in-hospital after which the GP takes over. MHCC supports the GP by offering educational intervention regarding smoking cessation, exercise, nutrition and mental health. A total of 208 persons hospitalised due to acute coronary syndrome are to be randomized before hospital discharge.

Conclusion: The study aims to examine whether the organisation of SC-CR is feasible and provides the expected benefits.

Funding: The trial is funded by Region Central Denmark.

Trial registration: Clinical Trials ID: NTC 01522001.