Expanding access to telehealth in Australian cardiac rehabilitation services: a national survey of barriers, enablers, and uptake.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is traditionally delivered in-person; however, the COVID-19 pandemic provided impetus for alternative offerings such as telehealth. We investigated uptake, barriers, and enablers in a national survey during the pandemic in Australia.

Methods and results

We surveyed CR programmes between April and June 2021 using professional association networks. The anonymous online questionnaire addressed programme characteristics, COVID-19 impacts, and barriers to and enablers of telehealth use. Open-text responses were coded and presented as themes. In total, there were responses from 105 programmes (33% response rate). All states and geographical areas were represented. The use of every modality of telehealth care (telephone, video conferencing, text mes

SUBMITTER: Thomas EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10802819 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature