Adherence to Participation in a Remote Rehabilitation Program in Patients that Have Undergone Open-Heart Surgery, Depending on the Characteristics of their Attitude to the Disease

Abstract

To increase the availability of cardiac rehabilitation and prevent psycho-emotional disorders after heart surgery, specialists from the Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases (CPSSZ) developed the program “Remote Rehabilitation of Patients After Heart Surgery”. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between indicators of the attitude of the disease and the frequency of using the remote rehabilitation program. The program included 46 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at the Research Institute of CPSSZ. The TOBOL test method was used to determine preoperative psychological parameters. On the 2nd-3rd day after undergoing heart surgery, the patient installed on their smartphone an application for remote rehabilitation, which consisted of 5 sections: Precribed walking, Therapeutic exercises, Diet, Psychology and Chat. Within 4 months after inclusion in the program, using a telephone survey, an analysis was made of the patient's adherence to this program and an assessment of its relationship with indicators of the internal picture of the disease. From the results of the study, it was confirmed that the main reason for refusing to participate in remote rehabilitation was the insufficient psychological attitude of patients to work together with medical specialists. Namely, “maladaptive” shock of melancholic and dysphoric variants of the internal picture of the disease on adherence to remote rehabilitation, which requires additional psycho-corrective work.