Virtual rehab program brings heart disease care to rural communities

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Living in a small town in this province and trying to manage certain health problems can be difficult for a lot of people.

A new study led by led by Simon Fraser University and St. Paul’s Hospital researcher Dr. Scott Lear about a web-based cardiac rehabilitation can make care more accessible.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs are effective options for patients with heart disease, a leading cause of death and disability, but thanks to Lear and other researchers, a new virtual program can help.

“Cardiac rehabilitation programs are generally located in large urban areas and require patients to come two to three times a week for three to found months to do medically supervised exercise, medical management and lifestyle factors.”

Lear says participants saw fewer hospital visits and drop-out rates. “We provided patients with heart rate monitors, they interacted with a nurse, a dietician, an exercise specialist. The patients would exercise with a monitor on, come home, hook it up to the computer. It would download the information and it would go onto the website.”

He says patients reported feeling more comfortable with their health, and more knowledgeable.

Researchers are looking to implement the program into standard care.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today