< Back to previous page

Project

Investigate the long-term effectiveness of a comprehensive telerehabilitation program on cardiovascular risk factor profile, cardiopulmonary fitness and on reducing the probability of adverse events in a broad cardiac patient population. (R-7257)

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the world's leading killers. Patients that have suffered from these diseases are advised to engage in a rehabilitation program, with the aim to prevent recurrence or deterioration of the disease. Unfortunately, despite the proven benefit, patients often do not adhere to this program. It is thus important to implement new strategies with the goal to sustain a healthy lifestyle in subjects with heart disease after being hospitalised. The hypothesis is that telerehabilitation can help to reach this goal. Telerehabilitation means that a patient is coached through his rehabilitation program from a distance. Several devices, most of them wearable, are used to monitor various parameters (physical activity, heart rate, weight...) and this information is sent to the doctor by Internet or telephone network. This project will investigate the effectiveness of a telerehabilitation program on the important risk factors for diseases of the heart and blood vessels on the physical fitness of the patient and on the recurrences and deteriorations of the diseases by means of the telerehabilitation trial. In this trial patients with different types of heart disease will be monitored during a long follow-up period. Additionally a Cardiac Patient Training Companion will be designed and developed. This is a tool that will assist the patient in his telerehabilitation program. The Companion will monitor, coach and educate the patient about his condition.
Date:1 Oct 2016 →  30 Sep 2018
Keywords:patient safety, telerehabilitation program
Disciplines:Cardiac and vascular medicine, Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Public health care, Public health sciences, Public health services, Nursing, Education curriculum