Journal
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY
Volume 41, Issue 8, Pages 1569-1579Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00246-020-02413-z
Keywords
Cardiac rehabilitation; Fitness; Exercise; Congenital heart
Categories
Funding
- Heart Center Strategic Investment Fund
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease often do not have the opportunity, inclination, or education to participate in safe and effective exercise. The consequences of this behavioral pattern affect not only cardiopulmonary parameters, but also psychosocial factors, especially when lack of participation in peer activities or sports leads to isolation and further sedentary behaviors. Importantly, unlike cardiac rehabilitation programs for adults with atherosclerotic disease, the goal for congenital heart disease patients was less about rehabilitation and more about promotion of optimal fitness. We thus developed a comprehensive Cardiac Fitness Program at Boston Children's Hospital to promote exercise training, enhanced self-confidence, and motivation for patients with congenital heart disease. Since much of sustained fitness relates to consistency and behavior change, we crafted a progressive, goal-oriented exercise curriculum and augmented it with a self-learning workbook of targeted positive mindset practices to develop self-efficacy, an app for motivation and data collection, and exercise videos to demonstrate mechanics and to reiterate a positive message. We now report our experience including program structure and framework, navigating insurance, curriculum development, and outcome measures. Methods employed and barriers encountered in the initial development and execution of this program are reviewed. Key take-aways and further considerations including virtual and home-based programs are discussed.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available