; Participation in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) decreases morbidity and mortality for patients hospitalized with myocardial infarction, coronary bypass surgery or percutaneous revascularization. Unfortunately, only 10-35% of patients for whom CR is indicated choose to participate. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) and Medicaid coverage are robust predictors of CR non-participation. There is growing recognition of the need to increase CR among economically disadvantaged patients, but there are no evidence-based interventions available for doing so. In the present study we propose to examine the efficacy of using financial incentives for increasing CR participation among low-income patients. Financial incentives have been highly effective in altering other health behaviors among disadvantaged populations (e.g., smoking during pregnancy, weight loss). For this study we will randomize 130 CR-eligibie low-income patients to a treatment condition where they receive financial incentives contingent on initiation of and continued attendance at CR sessions or to a """"""""usual-care"""""""" condition. Participants in both treatment conditions will complete pre- and post-treatment assessments. Treatment conditions will be compared on attendance at CR and end-of-intervention improvements in fitness, decision making and health-related quality of life. Cost effectiveness of the treatment conditions will also be examined by comparing the costs of the incentive intervention and usual care conditions with their effects on increasing CR initiation and adherence. Furthermore, we will model the value of the intervention based on increases in participation rates, intervention costs, long-term medical costs and health outcomes after a coronary event. Should this intervention be efficacious and cost-effective, it has the potential to substantially increase CR participation and significantly improve health outcomes among low-income cardiac patients.
The proposed trial will make a substantive contribution to our understanding of the health and economic benefits of increasing participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in an underserved population and thereby also reduce health disparities. This intervention will result in significant health gains in a population with historically abysmal CR rates who are also disproportionately at high risk for further health issues after their cardiac event.
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