Understanding and Promoting Health Behaviour Change Amid Transition to Cardiac Rehabilitation

Design and Evaluation of a Brief Motivational Intervention to Promote Enrolment in Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation

The purpose of this study was to test whether a brief motivational intervention is associated with enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs help reduce morbidity and mortality following a cardiac event, but only a subset of referred patients chooses to participate. An intervention based on principles of motivational interviewing may help resolve individuals' ambivalence about cardiac rehabilitation. The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention (MI) for enhancing intention to enroll in cardiac rehabilitation compared to a usual care (UC) control condition among patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation. It is hypothesized that patients in the MI condition will report greater intention to enroll in cardiac rehabilitation compared to patients in UC. A small-scale feasibility trial will include patients (n = 100) with acute coronary syndrome who are referred to a standard 12-week exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program in Calgary, Canada. Patients will be randomly assigned to MI or UC. The primary outcome will be self-reported intention to attend cardiac rehabilitation. Secondary outcomes will include beliefs about cardiac rehabilitation, exercise self-efficacy, perceived barriers, and cardiac rehabilitation enrollment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Referred to and eligible for outpatient, exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation; confirmed acute coronary syndrome; English-speaking; able to complete study prior to first scheduled cardiac rehabilitation appointment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Cognitive or hearing impairment that would interfere with study participation