Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an established secondary prevention program for people with cardiovascular disease, including stroke.1 However, traditional centre-based CR might be inaccessible early after stroke due to transport and mobility limitations. Home-based CR may be an alternative model but is yet to be tested. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of home-based CR for people with stroke.
Adults (>18-years) <2-weeks post-ischaemic stroke admitted to Epworth HealthCare were screened for eligibility and invited to participate. Following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, participants completed 2-days/week home-based CRF training plus education via telehealth for 6-weeks. Safety was determined by the number of adverse and serious adverse events. Feasibility was determined by participant recruitment, retention, and adherence to exercise recommendations.
There were no study-related adverse or serious adverse events. Of 132 people with stroke screened, 47 were eligible and 87 were ineligible due to haemorrhagic stroke (n=27) or admission to non-participating sites (n=40). A total of 19 were recruited (40%), 60% declined consent due to transfers to acute hospitals (n=10) prior to consent, a lack of time (n=6), or feeling overwhelmed (n=3). Participants completed 177/180 (98%) home-based sessions. There were three dropouts due to feeling overwhelmed (n=1) or failing to complete home-based sessions (n=2). The minimum recommended CRF training intensity (40% heart rate reserve) and duration (20-minutes) was achieved by 73% and 87% of participants respectively.
Home-based CR appears to be a safe and potentially feasible alternative to centre-based CR for people with stroke.