What am I doing here? Enablers and barriers to community-based cardiac rehabilitation attendance: a qualitative study utilising a behavioural science approach
Authors: Gibson I , Carvalho M , Byrne M , Dunne D , Kenny E , Mcsharry J , Noone C , Meade O 
Published: July 2021

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Community Engaged Scholars Programme (CES-P), PPI Ignite, National University of Ireland, Galway

Background

Despite the well-established benefits of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, programme uptake rates remain suboptimal. Delivering cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in the community offers an alternative model of care that may help address the challenges that exist around uptake and accessibility of CR. Yet in comparison to traditional hospital based CR programmes less is known about the enablers and barriers that may be unique to attending community based CR programmes.

Purpose

This study aimed to identify enablers and barriers to attending and completing a community-based CR programme from the patient perspective.

Methods

Individuals who were referred to a 12 week, interdisciplinary, multi-component community-based CR programme were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews. Reasons for attending or not attending the programme and for completing or not completing the full programme were discussed. Purposeful sampling was used to obtain variation in age, gender, and level of engagement with the programme. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis guided by the Capability Opportunity Motivation (COM B) Model and the Theoretical Domains Framework, to explore initial attendance and programme completion.

Results

Data saturation was achieved with sixteen participants. The majority of the identified barriers and enablers were common to both initial programme attendance and completion of programme. Having the social opportunity to receive support from peers, family members and staff was seen as an important enabler. While ease of access to a programme based in the community enabled attendance and completion, for some, distance to the cardiac rehabilitation centre was a barrier. Further barriers related to capability issues regarding poor physical health, time, work commitments and travel. Key motivational enablers included, beliefs around consequences, improved health status, knowledge, goals, intentions and personality. Identity was an important determinant of attendance as participants discussed their understanding of "what am I doing here?" Some participants identified themselves as the type of person who would benefit from the programme and others did not. For example, some felt the programme would suit those who needed motivation to enhance their health and some felt the programme was more or less suited to people of different ages and fitness levels.

Conclusion

The results suggest that interventions to enhance attendance at community-based CR need to address multiple factors related to capability, opportunity and motivation. While there is no one model of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation that will meet the needs of all patients, patients should be offered community based programmes as part of a choice of options that fit their needs and personal preferences.