The Efficacy and Economics of Exercise Maintenance Post-Cardiac Rehabilitation

The purpose of this study is to develop a new intervention to improve the transition of patients from structured, supervised exercise to self-managed home- or approved community-based exercise programs in an effort to increase maintenance of exercise behaviour post cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The goal of the study is that those receiving the intervention will engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity at a moderate or vigorous intensity 5 or more days per week, 26, 52 and 78 weeks after CR compared to those in the usual care group. The new intervention will be delivered by trained exercise facilitators (physiotherapists or exercise specialists) and will make use of: small group counseling teleconferences (5 sessions); personal telephone contacts (3 sessions), and community program demonstrations that would facilitate linkages between patients and approved community programs known as Heart Wise Exercise programs available in Ottawa and Toronto. The trial will be conducted at the Minto Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention Centre at the University Health Network (Peter Munk Cardiac Centre \[PMCC\] and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute \[TRI\]) sites. The study has a target enrollment of 604 participants.

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient is currently participating in an on-site CR program of ≥ 8-week duration (to ensure that outcomes are not confounded by exposure to home-based or telephone-based case managed programs) * Patient has graduated from CR (to ensure that the study is evaluating an intervention to help sustain and improve maintenance of exercise behaviour * Patient has a documented diagnosis of CAD (to ensure homogeneity of the patient population) * Patient is 18 years of age or older * Patient is able and willing to provide informed consent * Able to walk unaided at 2 mph Exclusion Criteria: * Patient has New York Heart Association class III or IV heart failure (because this might interfere with the ability to achieve recommended exercise levels and to ensure homogeneity of the patient population) * Patient is pregnant, lactating or planning to become pregnant during the study period (because this might interfere with the ability to achieve recommended exercise levels) * Patient is unable to read and understand English or French * Planning to leave the province or region in the next 12 months * Member of the participant's household is already participating in the study * The participant is unable, in the opinion of the qualified investigator, to participate in unsupervised exercise.