A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Patient and Carer Perspectives on the Acceptability of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

Aim: To provide a structured analysis of the acceptability of transcatheter aortic valve implantation to support clinical conversations, decision making and recovery for older adults with aortic stenosis and their carers.

Background: While transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an effective treatment for heart valve disease, its acceptability to patients and caregivers remains unclear. Understanding the acceptability of clinical procedures is key for influencing patient engagement in self-care and guiding the information and support patients and carers need.

Effect of a nurse-avatar guided discharge education smartphone application in people after acute coronary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Discharge education reduces recurrent cardiac events in people after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This trial investigates the effectiveness of a self-administered avatar-based discharge education application (app) on knowledge and clinical outcomes among inpatients compared with usual care.

Methods And Results: Single-centre randomized controlled trial of adults hospitalized with ACS who were being discharged home.

Effectiveness of Quality Improvement Interventions in Cardiac Rehabilitation on Processes and Patient Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aims: Significant variability in Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program content and delivery persists. Quality improvement interventions enhance adherence to standards and reduce variability, yet synthesized evidence of their characteristics and effectiveness in CR is lacking. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of quality improvement interventions on CR processes and patient outcomes.

Associations between change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour with risk of recurrent cardiovascular events among individuals with coronary heart disease: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and limiting time in sedentary behaviour (SB) are recommended for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). Little is known about MVPA and SB changes and recurrent cardiovascular events. This study explores the associations between changes in MVPA and SB for recurrent cardiovascular events among individuals with CHD.

Heatwaves and Heart Health: A Survey Study and Discussion on the Current Knowledge and Attitudes of Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinicians.

Purpose: Heat-related cardiovascular deaths are increasingly common for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the face of a warming climate. Cardiac rehabilitation clinicians are well placed to educate people with CVD about the risks of heatwaves, but little is understood about their knowledge of this issue. We conducted an Australia-wide survey to understand cardiac rehabilitation clinician knowledge and attitudes regarding the health impacts of heatwaves for people with CVD.

Independent and joint associations of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in 40,156 Australian adults with coronary heart disease.

Objective: Explore the independent and joint associations between sedentary behaviour and physical activity with cardiovascular events, among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: Cohort study including Australians ≥45 years with CHD (2006-2020). Time in sedentary behaviour, walking, moderate-, and vigorous- physical activity were self-reported.

Effectiveness of coronary heart disease peer support interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: To investigate the effect of peer support interventions on psychosocial outcomes, self-management behaviours and readmissions among people with coronary heart disease (CHD). The second aim was to characterise the peer support strategies being tested including the intervention initiation, method, dose, timing, format and content, and the characteristics and training of the peers providing the intervention.

Methods And Results: Systematic review and meta-analysis (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, PubMed [non-MEDLINE], Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register) and risk of bias appraisal was conducted on the above outcomes according to the PRISMA checklist and Cochrane Collaboration guidelines.

A Review and Promise of Digital Health Technologies to Promote Global Cardiovascular Health: A Call to Action for Nursing.

Background: Digital health technologies include an array of mobile or digital devices and apps that may be used by patients to support lifestyle modification or medical apps that monitor vital parameters and provide data that may influence treatment decisions. The use of digital health technologies is a growing opportunity for disease prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for both patients to engage in self-management as well as nurses to monitor patients remotely and facilitate clinical decision support.

Objectives: The aims of this review article are to provide an overview of pertinent digital health technologies in CVD care, address social determinants of health and other enablers/barriers to digital health implementation, and provide perspectives on novel models of care incorporating digital technologies.

Developing physical Activity and Sedentary behaviour thresholds for the Secondary prevention of Heart disease (DASSH): a cohort mortality survival tree analysis.

Background: The dose-response relationship between physical activity and sedentary behaviour (SB) with mortality in people with coronary heart disease (CHD) is unclear. The aim was to identify moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and SB thresholds for mortality risk.

Methods: This prospective cohort study comprised Australian participants aged ≥ 45 years with self-reported CHD (2006-2020).

Rationale and design of the TeleClinical Care Cardiac (TCC-Cardiac) trial: A pragmatic randomized trial of adjunctive virtual models of care in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events.

Background: Digital health interventions have potential to improve outcomes in high risk cardiac patients through remote monitoring and patient education but introduce accessibility issues among patients who lack suitable smartphones. We will evaluate the effectiveness and scalability of the TeleClinical Care Cardiac (TCCCardiac) platform, that aims to reduce hospital readmissions and improve adherence to care.

Methods: A pragmatic, all-comers trial with nested randomization, where patients being discharged home following an admission with acute myocardial infarction (MI) or decompensated heart failure (HF) are divided into 3 cohorts pragmatically, based on their access to technology.

Cardiovascular and Risk Factor Outcomes for Ethnic Minorities From Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To determine the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among ethnic minorities for cardiovascular risk factors (systolic blood pressure [BP], exercise capacity, lipids, body fat), mortality, and morbidity, and compare outcomes to majority reference groups.

Review Methods: We searched electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane Library) from inception until September 2023 for studies reporting CR outcomes of ethnic minorities. Meta-analyses were conducted for data that could be pooled using random effects model.

Psychosocial Well-Being and Healthy Eating in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A National Survey of Cardiac Rehabilitation Practitioners Self-Reported Practices.

Background: Psychosocial well-being and nutritional counselling are important components of cardiac rehabilitation endorsed by national and international guidelines. However, both areas can be complex for cardiac rehabilitation practitioners to navigate. This study aimed to examine whether practitioners have implemented standardised program content for psychosocial well-being and healthy eating and explore attitudes to these components.

Heart2Heart: a digital peer support programme for people with heart disease: protocol for a community-based, investigator-blinded randomised controlled trial conducted in Australia.

Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation is known to reduce morbidity and improve quality of life in people living with heart disease, however, adherence, access and completion of these programmes is suboptimal. Peer support may offer an opportunity to close this service gap. The aim of the study is to determine whether the effectiveness of a digital peer support programme for people living with heart disease is effective in improving social connectedness, clinical and patient-reported outcomes and experience measures.

Evaluate the effect of virtual nurse-guided discharge education app on disease knowledge and symptom response in patients following coronary events.

Background: Pre-discharge patient education promotes better self-care and secondary prevention following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Traditional methods do not adapt well to staff and patient time limitations and varied health literacy levels. Self-administered digital methods using engagement strategies may address these issues.

Implementation of a data-driven quality improvement program in primary care for patients with coronary heart disease: a mixed methods evaluation of acceptability, satisfaction, barriers and enablers.

Background The study aimed to understand the acceptability, satisfaction, uptake, utility and feasibility of a quality improvement (QI) intervention to improve care for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients in Australian primary care practices and identify barriers and enablers, including the impact of COVID-19. Methods Within the QUality improvement for Effectiveness of care for people Living with heart disease (QUEL) study, 26 Australian primary care practices, supported by five Primary Health Networks (PHN) participated in a 1-year QI intervention (November 2019 - November 2020). Data were collected from practices and PHNs staff via surveys and semi-structured interviews.

Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Thresholds for Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: Morbidity Survival Tree Analysis.

Background: There are no diagnosis-specific guidelines for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) for coronary heart disease (CHD). This study aimed to identify thresholds of MVPA and SB associated with cardiovascular events.

Methods: This cohort study included individuals with CHD.

A Self-Administered Gamified Mobile Application for Secondary Prevention of Heart Disease in Patients Following a Cardiac Event (MyHeartMate): Process Evaluation from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study reports the process evaluation of a randomized controlled trial of the MyHeartMate app for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Data were collected on engagement in the intervention group from the app platform logs and self-reported usage and via interviews for perspectives of usefulness and acceptability. Participants' ( = 194) data logs showed 80.

Patient education in ethnic minority and migrant patients with heart disease: A scoping review.

Objective: to describe the characteristics and synthesise the effectiveness of culturally and linguistically appropriate educational interventions for ethnic minority/migrant patients with heart disease.

Methods: Five databases were searched (journal inception to August/2023), identifying studies reported on health outcomes and patients' experience of educational interventions specifically designed for individuals from ethnic minority/migrant backgrounds. These outcomes included disease-related knowledge, self-care behaviours, risk factor profiles, hospital admissions, and patient satisfaction.

Detecting and managing cognitive impairment in cardiac patients: insights from qualitative interviews with nurses.

Cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease often coexist, and nurses are ideally positioned to detect and manage cognitive impairment in cardiac patients. This study explored nurses' perspectives on understanding, detecting, and acting on cognitive impairment in cardiac patients. Using an exploratory descriptive design, nurses from acute and outpatient cardiac units were interviewed.