Wenru Wang
National University of Singapore, Singapore
Title: Effects of home-based cardiac rehabilitation programme for patients with acute myocardial infarction: A randomized controlled trail
Biography
Biography: Wenru Wang
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a home-based rehabilitation program for Chinese patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in terms of health related quality of life and psychological status. This was a randomized, controlled trial with data collected at 2 university-affiliated public general hospitals in Xian, Shaanxi Province, and People’s Republic of China. One hundred and sixty patients with an MI were randomly assigned to either the interventional group (a home-based cardiac rehabilitation program using a self-help manual) or the control group (usual care). Health-related quality of life (generic, Chinese Short Form 36-Item Health Survey[C:SF-36]; disease-specific, Chinese Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale[C:MIDAS]) and psychological status (the Chinese Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were measured at baseline, program completion (6 weeks), and 3 and 6 months after hospital discharge. The results showed significant differences were evident in the main outcomes when the home-based group was compared with the usual care group at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. The home-based group had significantly higher scores on 4 of the 8 domains of the C:SF-36 and on 3 of the 7 dimensions of the C:MIDAS, with significantly lower scores on the anxiety, but not the depression, subscale of the Chinese Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. This study concluded that a simple, home-based cardiac rehabilitation program for patients with acute myocardial infarction, using a self-help manual, improves health related quality of life and reduces anxiety. It appears feasible and acceptable, and does not produce inferior outcomes compared with usual care in China.