Cardiac Rehabilitation Peer Mentorship

The current study will be a randomized controlled trial in which cardiac inpatients will be randomized to either receive the intervention (cardiac rehabilitation peer mentorship) or be in the control group (receive usual care). After consent is obtained cardiac patients in the intervention group will be visited, at the hospital bedside, by trained volunteer cardiac rehabilitation peer mentors (i.e., individuals who have completed cardiac rehabilitation) who will provide the patients with information on cardiac rehabilitation as well as encourage the patients to obtain a referral from their healthcare provider. During this visit the cardiac rehabilitation peer mentor will also obtain agreement from the patient to call the patient at home two weeks after their discharge. Those in the control group will not be visited by cardiac rehabilitation peer mentors.

One week after discharge the cardiac rehabilitation peer mentors will mail the patients in the intervention a get-well soon card reminding the patient of the visit, giving them more information about the cardiac rehabilitation program, and reminding them of their future scheduled phone call. Two weeks after patients' discharge cardiac rehabilitation peer mentors will call the patients in the intervention group. At this point they will assess how the patient is doing, if they were referred to cardiac rehabilitation and if they enrolled. Any possible barriers the patients have to attending cardiac rehabilitation will also be discussed.

Eight weeks post-discharge, patient referral and enrolment will be ascertained by a research assistant blinded to random assignment. Statistical analyses will be conducted to determine any differences between the two groups as well as to determine any differences between men and women.

Inclusion criteria

• Any condition indicated for cardiac rehabilitation: Acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft +/- valve surgery or procedure (e.g., TAVI), heart transplant, ventricular assist device, heart failure, arrhythmia, rhythm device (i.e. implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, cardiac resynchronization therapy, pacemaker), congenital heart disease, minor non-disabling stroke or transient ischemic attack (i.e., can ambulate), peripheral vascular disease
• Proficiency in English language

Exclusion criteria

• Any musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, visual, cognitive or non-dysphoric psychiatric condition, or any serious or terminal illness not otherwise specified which would preclude CR eligibility based on CR guidelines
• Being discharged to long-term care
• Inability to ambulate (i.e. walk unaided at 2mph)