Abstract 178: Improving Cardiac Rehab Attendance By Providing Transportation Services And Removing Cost

For more than a decade, Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) has been a Class IA indication for cardiovascular patient populations. While the benefits of CR are well published, enrollment and attendance barriers persist. The overall objective of the PACE Project is to increase enrollment and completion of a CR program in an urban academic health center. It addresses two known barriers to patient CR participation: transportation and affordability. Our hypothesis is that Phase II CR enrollment and attendance can be increased by providing free transportation and removing patient out-of-pocket expenses. The study recruitment period was October 2019 to March 2021, with a pause in services and recruitment during the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Patient were offer PACE participation during their hospitalization. Once consents were obtained, the standard processes to schedule and enroll in Phase II cardiac rehab and exercise prescription were adhered. Patients were responsible for calling and scheduling transportation services for their CR sessions. Upon completion of the study, 73% (41/56) patients attended at least one Phase II session, with an average of 15 session per attendee. This compared to previously published national participation of 8.2% or 32.6%, of at least one session, depending upon in-patient CR referral. The study had a Phase II graduation rate of 32% (13/41). Transportation was utilized in 10.7% (6/56) of participants, with billed mileage ranging from 1-5 miles. Those utilizing transportation services were all female, with 83% (5/6) being women of color. Out-of-pocket co-payments were observed for 41.4% (17/41) of attendees. For those with co-payments, an average of $40, with a range $2-$60, per session was observed. CR is a proven guideline directed intervention to reduce secondary cardiac events. Our study suggest the removal of frequently cited barriers to participation, cost and transportation, is associated with improved CR participation.