Patient Attitudes Toward Telemedicine-Delivered Cardiac Rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine-delivered cardiac rehabilitation (telemedicine-CR) provides an alternative pathway for patients who are unable to participate in conventional CR. Little is known regarding the relationships among potential participants' perceptions of barriers to CR participation, interest in telemedicine-CR, and self-efficacy beliefs toward the use of telemedicine. The purpose of this study was to identify if associations exist between these variables. METHODS: A quantitative, correlational survey study was conducted using the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale and a survey examining interest in and self-efficacy for telemedicine technologies. Eighty-three patients were invited to participate. RESULTS: Twenty surveys (24%) were returned. Significant correlations were identified between interest in telemedicine-CR and self-efficacy beliefs for the use of live video links, rs(14) = .510, p = .044, and the Cardiac Rehabilitation Barriers Scale Comorbidity subscale, rs(18) = -.469, p = .037. CONCLUSIONS: Higher self-efficacy for the use of video chat and fewer perceived comorbidity barriers were associated with greater interest in telemedicine-CR.