RehaPlus+

For the majority of patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation, the rehabilitation process does not end with Phase II. Cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease (CHD), etc. are among the chronic conditions for which no definitive cure can be expected and the effects of the disease can only be minimised and optimised in terms of reduced performance and quality of life. Lack of exercise is considered a major risk factor that can be counteracted by physical activity (sense of performance) as well as everyday activities.

The subsequent rehabilitation phase III (aftercare) is of the greatest importance here. Telemedical, mHealth (= mobile health; use of smartphones, applications) based aftercare programmes are still not standard in the aftercare of medical rehabilitation despite the digital age and urgently require modern adaptation and updating. There are 3 current problems with existing aftercare programmes:

1. time and location constraints: participation is often not possible due to appointments and family commitments, as well as places of residence with poor connectivity. This leads to reduced adherence, which has proven to be essential for the prognosis of cardiac patients.

2. COVID-19 pandemic: on-site training often not possible, closed facilities, lack of contactless healthcare.

3. high cost intensity: provision of rooms and care by specialised staff.

For this reason, the Königsfeld Clinic is evaluating an aftercare concept that makes healthcare ubiquitously available as a telemedicine programme in Phase III. By focusing on mHealth components such as smartphones, the programme can be used regardless of time and place. The RehaPlus+ aftercare programme combines measures whose effectiveness has been confirmed in health care research, with the selection also being based on efficiency and costs. Studies show that individually optimised concepts lead to an improvement in physical fitness and quality of life compared to centre-based cardiac rehabilitation alone.

The aim of the study is to evaluate a telemedical aftercare concept in the healthcare of cardiological patients after inpatient rehabilitation compared to standard aftercare.