The role of nursing in cardiac telerehabilitation: results of a systematic review

Cardiac rehabilitation is an essential intervention to improve the health and quality of life of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, conventional rehabilitation programs present limitations that can hinder patients ‘ access to rehabilitation sessions. For instance, patients may reside in geographic areas without dedicated facilities or face dif ficulties organizing their personal schedules to attend rehabilitation sessions. Remote rehabilitation, facilitated by telemedicine and telenursing, emerges as an innovative solution to overcome these barriers, enabling flexible and personalized approaches that allow patients to receive continuous and professional rehabilitation at home. Through a systematic review, current evidence on the effectiveness of nursing interventions in remote rehabilitation was analyzed, with a particular focus on improving the quality of life of patients undergoing PCI. The review included studies evaluating key indicators such as quality of life, adherence to rehabilitation programs, and additional outcomes like clinical improvements, emotional well –being, and model acceptability. Telerehabilitation programs demonstrated signi ficant improvements in health –related quality of life (HRQoL), daily patient activities, and anxiety reduction, even when compared to traditional programs. High adherence rates observed across all included studies highlight the feasibility and acceptance of these digital solutions. However, challenges related to access to digital technologies and the lack of standardized protocols were identi fied. The integration of telerehabilitation programs into care pathways represents an opportunity to optimize cardiac rehabilitation management and enhance patient quality of life. Telerehabilitation thus constitutes a signi ficant innovation in care pathways, improving accessibility and continuity of care. To maximize its potential, it is essential to address structural challenges, ensure organizational support, integrate these programs into existing clinical work flows, and provide adequate training for healthcare providers and patients to achieve optimal management.