Heart failure patients' experiences of telerehabilitation

Abstract

In the UK, almost 1 million people are living with heart failure, with heart and circulatory diseases accounting for 27% of all deaths, according to the British Heart Foundation. Current heart failure guidelines support cardiac rehabilitation as an intervention to reduce cardiovascular events, increase exercise tolerance and enhance patients' quality of life. Research indicates that telerehabilitation is an effective component of heart failure management, which helps overcome perceived barriers to cardiac rehabilitation including travel to appointments, long waiting times and accessibility. Understanding patient experiences and increasing telerehabilitation among heart failure patients is pertinent to implementing person-centred care, reducing risk and optimising quality of life.

Keywords: Cardiac rehabilitation; Heart failure; Home monitoring; Patient experiences; Telerehabilitation.