Developing a group-based virtual education curriculum for cardiac rehabilitation and the associated toolkit to support implementation in Canada and across the globe

Background: To overcome the many barriers faced by the long-lasting pandemic, the development of new ways to deliver cardiac rehabilitation (CR)'s components was needed. Objective: This mixed-methods study describes the process to create a virtual education curriculum and assess the level of user engagement and acceptability in CR participants. Methods: A 4-phase approach was used to develop the new virtual education curriculum for CR and collect feedback regarding patients' engagement with and acceptability of the curriculum in a convenience sample of 80 CR participants. Data were analyzed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach and mapped to the evidence-based implementation strategies, followed by stakeholder engagement. Considering all information gathered and applying best practices in patient education and curriculum development, a 16-week virtual education curriculum was established. Results: Five themes were identified on how the current education could be improved: focus on self-management, emphasize emotional wellbeing, improve facilitation, incorporate existing resources, and improve content flow. The recommendations associated with each theme informed the new curriculum and a tailored implementation plan to support the use of virtual education as part of routine care within the program. A toolkit that included a screening tool for comfort with access to technology, patient-centered manuals with weekly learning plans, and a facilitator's manual was created. Overall, all recommended weekly education was completed by more than 70% of the participants, with greater acceptability. Conclusions: The present study offers an example of a collaborative approach to tailoring strategies for the development of a new group-based virtual education model of CR. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study describes the development of a new group-based virtual education model for cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and evaluates its user engagement and acceptability. The study identified five themes for improving the current education and used them to inform the development of the new curriculum. The results showed that over 70% of participants completed the recommended weekly education, indicating a high level of acceptability.