The efficacy of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) to improve aerobic fitness and reduce mortality has been questioned, partly due to the insufficient exercise dose (namely frequency of exercise sessions). Lack of frequency of exercise sessions is mainly attributed to staffing and funding limitations, particularly in the UK. Despite a lack of prescribed exercise sessions, it is imperative patients adhere to the prescribed intensity and duration targets. To offset the inadequate time available to instruct CR patients, pre-CR instructional digital videos could inform patients about the prescribed exercise dose (intensity and duration). This may enhance their understanding of exercise targets when commencing CR. PURPOSE: The study evaluated the effectiveness of instructional videos in improving patient recall of targeted rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and exercise duration in a CR setting. METHODS: Fifty-five patients in North Wales, UK, were recruited. They were provided a digital video via a weblink to watch before attending CR, explaining the specific exercise duration and intensity targets. After four exercise classes, patients completed a survey about the video’s usefulness in explaining correct exercise methods, their confidence in meeting intensity and duration targets, and their recall of RPE and duration targets. Quantitative data is presented as frequency and percentage of responses.
RESULTS: Of the twenty-three patients completing the survey, 47.8% (n=11) found the video extremely useful, and 34.8% (n=8) found it very useful. Overall, 21.7% (n=5) were extremely confident and 43.5% (n=10) were very confident that they were meeting the prescribed exercise targets. However, 34.8% (n=8) failed to recall the correct RPE targets for circuit-based CR exercise and 43.5% (n=10) failed to recall the correct RPE targets for gym-based CR exercise. Additionally, 60.9% (n=14) were unable to accurately recall the prescribed exercise duration targets.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite most patients feeling confident about their understanding of exercise targets, the actual recall of RPE and exercise duration targets was limited, indicating a gap between perceived knowledge and recall. This highlights the need for more effective instructional interventions in CR programmes.
ORCID: 
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)