Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality globally. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs are crucial for patients recovering from cardiac events, as they help reduce the risk of recurrent events and support patient recovery. The patient's journey in CR spans the stages before, during, and after the program. Patients have to progress through each stage of CR programs successfully to complete the entire CR journey and get the full benefits of CR programs, but numerous barriers within this journey can hinder patient progression. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the barriers to progression at all stages of the CR patient journey from the perspectives of health care providers involved in CR care. METHODS: This qualitative study involved semistructured interviews with health care providers involved in CR care from July 2023 to January 2024. A purposive maximal variation sampling method was used to target providers with diverse demographics and specialties. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants, leveraging the existing networks of participants. Each interview lasted between 30 and 45 minutes. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Data analysis was conducted from August 2023 to February 2024. RESULTS: Ten health care providers, comprising 7 females and 3 males, were interviewed. Their roles included physician, program director, nurse manager, clinical manager, nurse coordinator, nurse, physiotherapist, and kinesiologist. The analysis identified four overarching themes related to barriers to progression in the CR journey: (1) patients not being referred to CR programs, (2) patients not enrolling in CR programs, (3) patients dropping out of CR programs, and (4) patients' lack of adherence to lifestyle changes post-CR programs. CONCLUSIONS: In light of the growing interest in technological interventions in CR programs, we proposed 4 potential technological solutions to address the barriers to progression identified in our analysis. These solutions aim to provide a foundation for future research to guide the development of effective technologies and enhance patient progression within the CR journey.