A smartphone app for sedentary behavious change in cardiac rehabilitation and the effect on hospital admissions: the ToDo-CR randomised control trial

One third of all heart attacks in Australia are repeat events. Furthermore, the greatest hospital readmission costs fall within the first year following the initial cardiac event. Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease through exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation is an intervention with strong scientific evidence for decreasing morbidity and mortality in patients. Sedentary behaviour and physical inactivity are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. However, participants of cardiac rehabilitation are amongst the majority of Australians who are not meeting the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines. The current COVID-19 pandemic highlights the changing and increasing demand on healthcare systems across the world. Research exploring technology-based interventions as contact free and potentially cost-effective solutions has increased exponentially to aid this crisis. Smartphone applications (apps) appear to be a viable option to meet this demand however there is limited research assessing the effect of individualised smartphone applications that target sedentary behaviour change in cardiac rehabilitation. There are also no studies investigating the impact of an app-based intervention on hospital admissions and repeat cardiac events.

This work will provide insight into the efficacy of such an app in cardiac rehabilitation, provide the perspectives of cardiac rehabilitation.