An observational study in Cardiac Rehabilitation, sponsored by Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Prevention. Completed at 1 site in Austria. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2022-01-06.
Sponsored by Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Prevention · Observational
The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in extraordinary public health orders of social distancing and self-isolation, leading to widespread disruption and discontinuation of cardiac rehabilitation programmes and other social opportunities for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients to exercise. In Austria, the government initiated drastic public health measures (national lockdown) on March 16, 2020, leading to closure of all outpatient cardiac rehabilitation facilities and restriction of inpatient rehabilitation to patients with urgent medical indications only.
This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19-related national lockdown and public health restrictions on cardiac rehabilitation patients, with respect to maintenance of physical activity for secondary CVD prevention.
The study poses three research questions, which will be addressed in a mixed-methods study with sequential quantitative-qualitative (QUANT-QUAL) design:
The study will recruit a cohort of up to 40 cardiac rehabilitation patients from one outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centre in Salzburg, Austria, whose rehabilitation programme was interrupted by COVID-19 public health orders, including "lockdown".
Patients will undergo re-assessment of physical fitness in cycle ergometry test and re-assessment of cardiovascular risk profile. This will be compared with patients' most recent available test results from before the COVID-19 lockdown (i.e. prior to mid-March 2020) from patient records. Additionally, patients will take part in a semi-structured qualitative interview in which they will be invited to reflect on their personal experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown and thereafter.
7,640 studies on the registry are indexed under COVID-19; 488 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 27 is below the median of 261 across 3,136 observational studies indexed under COVID-19.
Browse COVID-19 studies →Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Prevention is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
A group of patients who regularly attended group-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise training at the study site until COVID-19 restrictions (national lockdown) came into force on 16th March 2020.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants will be recruited from a group of patients who regularly attended group-based cardiac rehabilitation exercise training at the study site until COVID-19 restrictions (national lockdown) came into force on 16th March 2020.
Other: No intervention
This study does not include an intervention
Work load (W)
Maximal work load (W) achieved in cycle ergometry test
Time frame: up to 12 months
Work load % of predicted value
Maximal work load (W) achieved in cycle ergometry test expressed as percentage of predicted value
Time frame: up to 12 months
Heart rate (bpm)
Maximal heart rate (bpm) during cycle ergometry test
Time frame: up to 12 months
Framingham Recurrent Coronary Heart Disease risk score
Range 1% to 29%, higher percentage indicating worse risk estimate
Time frame: up to 12 months
Metabolic Equivalent (MET) minutes / week
MET-minutes/week calculated from patient self-report of physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire, IPAQ, 7 day version)
Time frame: up to 12 months
Patient Experience
Semi-structured qualitative interview
Time frame: 5 months
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Dec 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Prevention