Remote ECG Monitoring-Based Phase I Cardiac Rehabilitation After Heart Surgery

Eligible participants who provide written informed consent will undergo baseline assessments and participate in a Phase I cardiac rehabilitation program using the MEMO Patch for remote ECG monitoring.

The cardiac rehabilitation program consists of approximately one week of inpatient rehabilitation followed by approximately two weeks of home-based rehabilitation. During the study period, participants will wear the MEMO Patch for ECG and physical activity monitoring, receive remote feedback and coaching from study personnel, and record their exercise in an exercise diary.

Clinical assessments will be performed at baseline, before hospital discharge, and at the end of the intervention (approximately two weeks after discharge during an outpatient visit). Baseline and pre-discharge assessments include anthropometric measurements, hand grip strength, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), the Korean Activity Scale Index (KASI), the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). A symptom-limited submaximal exercise test and squat endurance test will also be performed before hospital discharge. At the end of the intervention, participants will undergo anthropometric measurements, an incremental symptom-limited exercise test, hand grip strength, the 6-minute walk test, squat endurance test, KASI, EQ-5D, SF-36, and a MEMO Patch satisfaction survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 19 years or older
• Patients diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (e.g., acute coronary syndrome, heart failure, or valvular heart disease) who have undergone cardiac surgery
• Low- or intermediate-risk patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of 35% or greater on echocardiography
• Patients with sufficient cognitive ability to understand the cardiac rehabilitation program using a mobile device, application, and the MEMO Patch
• Patients who were independently ambulatory prior to surgery
• Patients capable of undergoing an exercise stress test
• Patients who voluntarily provide written informed consent to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• High-risk patients (e.g., patients with aortic dissection, survivors of cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death, or patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator)
• Patients with uncontrolled medical diseases
• Patients who are unable to walk independently
• Patients with contractures of the hip, knee, or ankle joints that interfere with walking
• Patients with musculoskeletal or neurological disorders affecting the lower extremities
• Patients with physical conditions that preclude high-intensity gait training
• Patients receiving other treatments that may affect the safety or efficacy assessments
• Patients who do not provide written informed consent to participate in this clinical study