Safety and Effectiveness of a Virtual Pediatric Cardiac Rehabilitation Program or Telerehabilitation in Children With Heart Disease

The program was entirely virtual except for pre and post program cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Patients were provided a stationary bicycle, hand weights, and resistance training bands. They exercised over zoom with a physical therapist or exercise physiologist weekly and were also asked to exercise independently 2x per week. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were provided to the patients as a single lead monitor and results were shared with the study team after each session or during sessions if the patient reported symptoms. Compliance and activity data were recorded using Fitbit activity trackers.

Control participants were provided fitness trackers and weekly text messaging from the study team to synch their devises but no formal exercise training. They were allowed to enroll in the exercise training after completing 3 months as a control.