Efficacy and Adherence Rates of a Novel Community-Informed Virtual World-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: Protocol for the Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Innovative restructuring of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) delivery remains critical to reduce barriers and improve access to diverse populations. is a novel virtual world technology-based CR program delivered through the virtual world platform, Second Life, which previously demonstrated high acceptability as an extension of traditional center-based CR. This study aims to evaluate efficacy and adherence of the virtual world-based CR program compared with center-based CR within a community-informed, implementation science framework.

Novel Virtual World-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program to Broaden Access to Underserved Populations: A Patient Perspective.

This report describes , a novel virtual world-based cardiac rehabilitation program, which aims to increase cardiac rehabilitation access to underserved populations. We highlight the experience of a cardiac patient whose successful participation in the program allowed her to overcome significant psychosocial and access barriers to cardiac rehabilitation.

A Community-Informed Virtual World-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program as an Extension of Center-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation: MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS OF A MULTICENTER PILOT STUDY.

Purpose: Innovative methods for delivering cardiac rehabilitation (CR) that provide strategies to circumvent the mounting barriers to traditional CR have the potential to widen access to a well-established secondary prevention strategy. Our study assesses the feasibility and acceptability of a novel virtual world-based CR (VWCR) program, Destination Rehab , as an extension of a conventional center-based CR program.

Methods: Adult cardiac patients hospitalized at Mayo Clinic hospitals with a diagnosis for CR and ≥1 modifiable, lifestyle risk factor target-sedentary lifestyle (<3 hr physical activity/wk), unhealthy diet (<5 servings fruits and vegetables/d), or current smoking (>1 yr)-were recruited.

Patient-perceived acceptability of a virtual world-based cardiac rehabilitation program.

Background: Despite its benefits, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation rates remain subpar. Telehealth lifestyle interventions have emerged as modalities to enhance CR accessibility. Virtual-world (VW) technology may provide a means to increase CR use.

The use of virtual world-based cardiac rehabilitation to encourage healthy lifestyle choices among cardiac patients: intervention development and pilot study protocol.

Background: Despite proven benefits through the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and reduction of mortality, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains underutilized in cardiac patients. Underserved populations most affected by CVD including rural residents, low socioeconomic status patients, and racial/ethnic minorities have the lowest participation rates due to access barriers. Internet-and mobile-based lifestyle interventions have emerged as potential modalities to complement and increase accessibility to CR.