Electronic Cardiac Rehabilitation (eCardiacRehab) Feasibility Study (eCardiacRehab)

June 18, 2026 updated by: Haukeland University Hospital

eCardiacRehab - a Pragmatic Trial on a Home-based Patient-centered e-Health Programme With Tailored Solutions - Feasibility Study

In Norway, more than 11,000 patients undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) annually. However, a very recent study utilizing registry data show a national average of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation of only 14%, despite its proven beneficial effects on readmissions, physical capacity, psychological distress, self-management, and quality of life. CR is strongly recommended in European guidelines. However, uptake is low and is not systematically identifying those in most need of CR. The primary objective of eCardiacRehab is to meet rehabilitation needs of large patient populations regardless of their access to traditional place-based rehabilitation by developing and evaluating the efficacy and cost effectiveness of an interdisciplinary and comprehensive home-based eCardiacRehab programme. eCardiacRehab address patient- and system level challenges in order to increase access to CR. The investigators give particular attention to older patients, women, and those with comorbidities or mental health challenges. Aspects related to continuity of care between specialist and primary care services, health literacy, adherence to treatment, cost effectiveness and ethics are investigated. The investigators will 1) continue to develop the programme with patients, general practitioners, healthcare experts from both specialist and primary care services, and technology developers, 2) develop treatment modules, 3) establish information and communication infrastructure, 4) evaluate the process and efficacy of treatment modules, 5) ensure knowledge development and transfer of competence to the municipalities, and 6) contribute to fulfil the innovation potential for health service and industry partners. eCardiacRehab has the potential to improve interaction and collaboration between primary and secondary care, modernise and digitalise work processes, and develop more coherent and tailored patient pathways. The vision of the home-based eCardiacRehab is to make CR available to all.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
80

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Norway
      • Bergen, Norway
        • Haukeland University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult Norwegian (or Scandinavian) speaking patients (≥ 18 years) who have a Norwegian national identification number,
  • With coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention
  • Are living at home and have internet available to them
  • Providing signed informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with cognitive impairment that may interfere with the ability to comply with the study protocol
  • Severe aortic stenosis
  • Severe arrhythmias
  • Expected lifetime less than one year as determined by study personnel
  • Otherwise clinically unstable
  • Not fully revascularized (awaits percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery)
  • Inability to comply with the study protocol due to any physical disability, somatic disease, or mental problems as determined by study personnel

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Control group
Usual care
Other: Intervention group
Digital cardiac rehabilitation
Other: eCardiacRehab
Interdisciplinary supervised home-based digital secondary prevention programme (12-week programme) based on the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation for patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The participants' engagement and adherence to the intervention
Time Frame: From start to the end of the programme (12 weeks)
Based on previous studies, the success criteria will be one login to the website on average once per week, and that 50% of participants will watch some or all the video messages on the website. Usage will be assessed as time spent using the programme, number of logins with start and end time, summary of number of sessions, messages sent, modules completed, and registrations per patient, number of completed questionnaires per patient, and start and end time for all modules in the programme. This will be assessed based on website usage statistics gathered by a website visit tracking system. Further, participants will be asked to report login-errors.
From start to the end of the programme (12 weeks)
Missing rate
Time Frame: From start to end of programme (12 weeks)
Acceptability of the secondary and primary outcomes is assessed through response and completion rates. The proportion of missing data in each completed questionnaire at baseline and at the end of the intervention of less than 20% is acceptable.
From start to end of programme (12 weeks)
Attrition rate
Time Frame: From start to the end of programme (12 weeks)
A success criterion to reduce the threats to validity is an attrition rate of no more than 20%. When possible, the reasons for participants leaving the study are obtained and reported in a study log.
From start to the end of programme (12 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Hospitalization
Time Frame: 180 days hospitalization
Composite end-point of Emergency Department (ED) contact and home, ED and observation, ED and admission (>24 hours), and death, whichever comes first.
180 days hospitalization
Change in beliefs and perceptions about medicines and treatment
Time Frame: Up to 24 months.
The Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) assesses beliefs and perceptions about medicines and treatment. The BMQ comprises two sections: the BMQ-Specific which assesses representations of medication prescribed for personal use and the BMQ-General which assesses beliefs about medicines in general. The two sections of the BMQ can be used in combination or separately. For this study, the BMQ-Specific will be used. Respondents rate 11 items on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree).
Up to 24 months.
Continuity of care
Time Frame: Self-report up to 6 months.
The Heart Continuity of Care Questionnaire (HCCQ) comprises 33 items covering eight topic areas regarding continuity of care. Respondents rate each item on a 6-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) or 6 (not applicable).
Self-report up to 6 months.
Change in health literacy
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The Health literacy questionnaire (HLQ) has nine scale scores that each measure an aspect of the multidimensional construct of health literacy. Each score provides insight into the strengths and limitations of the respondent, but the scores are most powerful when viewed together to show the 'health literacy profile' of the respondent
Up to 24 months
Anxiety and depression
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS is a fourteen item scale where seven of the items relate to anxiety and seven relate to depression. The respondent rates each item on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (absence) to 3 (extreme presence). The total score is 42 (21 per subscale).
Up to 24 months
Maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2 max)
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks.
Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) as measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).
Baseline and 12 weeks.
Healthcare utilization
Time Frame: Up to 24 months.
Healthcare utilization will be assessed during follow-up, including patients' use of primary care services (general practitioner visits) and secondary care services (inpatient admissions and outpatient visits). The data source will be nationwide registries. The measurement unit will be mean number of visits.
Up to 24 months.
Healthcare cost
Time Frame: Up to 24 months.
Health care (associated) costs will be valued using the tariffs of national agreements between the professional associations of medical specialists and the National Health Services. In secondary care, inpatient admissions and outpatient visits will be valued using the tariffs of the national case-mix system of the diagnosis-related groupings (DRG) and the ambulatory grouping system (DAGS). In addition, data will be collected on prescription of medication, which will be valued using the retail price. The data source will be nationwide registries. The measurement unit will be mean costs in Euros.
Up to 24 months.
Change in health status following myocardial infarction
Time Frame: Up to 24 months.
The Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale (MIDAS) is a PRO measure developed and validated to specifically measure the health status of individuals who have suffered a myocardial infarction. It consist of 7 domains, and is a 35 item scale where respondents rate each item on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always). The function of the MIDAS is to indicate the extent of ill health in each of the seven domains assessed, therefore each dimension is scored separately using a simple scoring methodology.
Up to 24 months.
Change in fatigue
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
A visual analog scale ranging from 0 (fatigue is not a problem) to 10 (fatigue is a major problem) is used to measure change in fatigue.
Up to 24 months
Change in eHealth literacy
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The eHealth Literacy Scale (Eheals) is an 8-item measure of eHealth literacy developed to measure consumers' combined knowledge, comfort, and perceived skills at finding, evaluating, and applying electronic health information to health problems. Respondents indicate their agreement with statements on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree).
Up to 24 months
Change in medication use
Time Frame: Up to 10 years
Data related to consumption of prescribed medication are identified through national prescription registries. The registries cover all prescriptions dispensed at pharmacies nationwide. The registries also include information about date of dispensation, quantity and strength dispensed. This will serve as complimentary information to patients' self-reported adherence.
Up to 10 years
Change in self-reported medication adherence
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The my experience of taking medicines (MYMEDS) questionnaire consists of six sections. Section 1: essential contextual information (e.g. the medicines taken). Section 2: overall understanding and satisfaction with medicines (four-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree)). Section 3: areas of anxiety about medicines (e.g. worry that they will cause more harm than good). Section 4: four separate practical concerns associated with medicines taking (e.g. swallowing problems). Section 5: assesses three issues in fitting medicines into patients' daily routine (e.g. relating to forgetfulness or inconvenience). Section 6: asks about adherence to each individual medicine over the past month (five point Likert scale). .
Up to 24 months
Change in physical and mental dimensions of health
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
RAND-12 measures physical and mental dimensions of health. The 12 items in the questionnaire correspond to eight principal physical and mental health domains. The 12 items are summarized into two scores, a "Physical Health Summary Measure (PCS-physical component score)" and a "Mental Health Summary Measure (MCS-mental component score)".
Up to 24 months
Health related quality of life
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The HeartQoL questionnaire is a core ischemic heart disease specific health related quality of life (HRQL) questionnaire. The questionnaire comprises 14-items with 10-item physical and 4-item emotional subscales which are scored from 0 (poor HRQL) to 3 (better HRQL) with a global score if needed.
Up to 24 months
Change in chest pain
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ-7) comprises 7 dimensions of coronary artery disease. Each scale is transformed to a score of 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate better function (eg, less physical limitation, less angina, and better quality of life).
Up to 24 months
Change in self-reported health
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
EQ-5D-5L is an 5 item (plus a VAS scale) self-report-questionnaire assessing self-reported health. Each question has 5 levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems. The patient is asked to indicate his/her health state by ticking the box next to the most appropriate statement in each of the five dimensions. This decision results in a 1-digit number that expresses the level selected for that dimension. The digits for the five dimensions can be combined into a 5-digit number that describes the patient's health state.
Up to 24 months
Digital health readiness
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
Responses to the Digital Health Readiness Questionnaire (DHRQ) are scored on a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree). The sum of the first 4 domains gives the total score on the DHRQ. The minimum score of the DHRQ is 15, and the maximum score of the DHRQ is 75. Additionally, a fifth domain called digital learnability is assessed.
Up to 24 months
Change in insomnia
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The Minimal Insomnia Symptom Scale (MISS) comprises 3 items assessing major features of insomnia, i.e. difficulties initiating sleep, waking at night and not feeling refreshed by sleep.
Up to 24 months
Change in sleep
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The Sleep Sufficient Index (SSI) comprises 2 items assessing amount of actual and desired sleep.
Up to 24 months
Medication adherence assessed by therapeutic drug monitoring
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 and 6 months
Serum levels of cardiac medications (quantified using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry)
Baseline, 3 and 6 months
Blood samples
Time Frame: Baseline, 3 and 6 months.
HbA1c (≤7.0%), lipids, cardiac and inflammation markers(e.g. troponins, natriuretic peptides and CRP).
Baseline, 3 and 6 months.
Change in blood pressure
Time Frame: Up to end of programme
Blood pressure targets (<120/70 mmHg at nurse visit; <120/70 mmHg at home measurement)
Up to end of programme
Change in biometrics
Time Frame: Baseline, start and end of programme
BMI (WHO- classification), visceral fat, muscle mass, body fat.
Baseline, start and end of programme
Change in nicotine status
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
Self-reported change in nicotine status
Up to 24 months
Change in self-reported intensity-adjusted minutes
Time Frame: Up to 24 months
The the physical activity frequency, intensity, and duration (PAFID) questionnaire contains three items on physical activity: (i) frequency [never (0), less than once per week (0.5), once per week (1), 2-3 times per week (2.5), or almost every day (5)]; (ii) duration of each exercise session [<15 min (7.5), 15-29 min (22.5), 30-60 min (45), or over 60 min (75)]; and (iii) intensity [low ('I take it easy, I don't get out of breath or break a sweat'), moderate ('I push myself until I'm out of breath or break into a sweat'), or high ('I practically exhaust myself')]. The number of minutes of physical activity is calculated as the average time spent per session multiplied by the average frequency of exercise per week multiplied by the weighted intensity [low (0.5), moderate (1), and high (2)] based on the values in brackets.
Up to 24 months
Biosensor data
Time Frame: Throughout the 12-week program
Biosensor data is collected throughout the 12-week program, and include time spent sedentary and in light-, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, daily step count, resting/maximal heart rate, sleep time and quality and time and duration of wearing the wearable device.
Throughout the 12-week program

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Haukeland University Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Yale University
University of Copenhagen
University of Bergen
The Research Council of Norway
Linkoeping University
University of Amsterdam
University of Sydney
University of Cambridge
Helse Fonna
Helse Vest
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Helse Møre og Romsdal HF
University of Regina
The Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization
Østfold University College
Bergen Municipality
Helse Førde HF
Helse Vest IKT
Youwell
Norsk råd for digital etikk
Center for Research on Cardiac Disease in Women
Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste Trening som medisin
RELIS Vest
Norwegian Centre for E-health Research
Sunnfjord Municipality
Sogndal Municipality
Masfjorden Municipality
E-helse Vestland
Voss Hospital, Norway

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Tone M Norekvål, PhD, Haukeland University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 6, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 30, 2035

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 20, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 29, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 6, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 459136
  • 344337 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Norwegian Research Council)
  • F-12624 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Western Norway Regional Health Authority)
  • R-10930 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Western Norway Regional Health Authority)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data are not made available for others according to the Norwegian data protection legislation.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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