Improving Cardiac Rehabilitation Session Attendance: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes typically offer patients with heart disease a long-term programme of medical evaluation, exercise, education and counseling. National guidelines have recognized the positive impact that attendance at CR can have following heart attacks, angina and other heart problems. Patients who attend such a programme have been shown to have reduced health problems. Despite this, research suggests that the use of these services is poor and that the majority of patients eligible for these programmes do not continue to attend after their first class. A range of factors have been associated with non-adherence to CR, including psychological factors such as people's beliefs about their illness. For example, patients with high levels of perceived control over their illness after a heart attack appear to be more likely to attend CR classes than those with low levels of perceived control. Such findings suggest that changing patients' illness beliefs, specifically those associated with illness control and illness consequences, could help to increase adherence to CR programmes. Increased adherence to CR could improve health outcomes for patients with cardiac illnesses. The present study is therefore investigating the effectiveness of a one-session psychological intervention, based on a theory called the Self-Regulatory Model, in altering beliefs about illness among patients starting cardiac rehabilitation. Participants will be randomly assigned to a treatment or a non-treatment group. It is hoped that those who receive the treatment session will attend more CR classes.

Official Title
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Improving Cardiac Rehabilitation Session Attendance Using the Self-Regulatory Model and Motivational Interviewing: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Cardiac Rehabilitation

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Psychological Intervention Session


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Attending first cardiac rehabilitation class at one of three hospital sites Participants had to be over 18 Exclusion Criteria: Unable to read and understand English information sheet and consent form

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Behavioral: Psychological Intervention Session|One-off session aimed at changing participants beliefs around illness control and consequences, applied using a motivational interviewing style.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CR Adherence | Number of cardiac rehabilitation classes attended in total. | Approximately 3-months after recruitment | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised Scores | Eight sub-scale scores obtained. Sub-scales include; Illness consequences, Illness Control, Treatment Control, Illness Identity, Emotional Representation, Illness Cause, Illness Coherence, Timeline Cyclical. Minimum and Maximum scores vary for each sub-scale. | 3-months after consent | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Randomised Controlled Trial, Adherence, Patient Participation