Search

To provide an overview of the content and characteristics of face-to-face interventions to encourage enrollment in exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Following a published protocol describing the methods, six databases were searched. The search was limited to studies published from January 2000 to December 2021. Two reviewers independently performed study selection and data extraction. 5583 studies were identified and 20 studies with a variety of study designs met the inclusion criteria. Eight studies specified important content in face-to-face interventions to be: Education, problem-solving, support of autonomy, exploring reasons for change, emotional and cognitive support while showing understanding. Studies targeting patients’ experiences used motivational interviewing and addressed worries and anticipated difficulties. Intention to attend, CR barriers, practical barriers, exercise self-efficacy, and patients asking questions supported enrollment. Reassurance could lead to nonattendance if patients had a high degree of worry and distress. Face-to-face interventions are important to support patients’ enrollment in CR and should integrate a person-centered dialogue exploring reasons for change and providing support to overcome barriers. Focus on the patients’ perspectives, the mechanisms of change, and the evaluation of the intervention to inform implementation should be further explored.Implications for RehabilitationIn-hospital face-to-face interventions support enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with ischemic heart disease.This study suggests that individual worries and barriers toward CR should be jointly explored while considering patients’ capacity for making choices as well as their vulnerability.Patients should be encouraged to ask questions.A too strong focus on reassurance and problem-solving can impede enrollment. In-hospital face-to-face interventions support enrollment in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with ischemic heart disease. This study suggests that individual worries and barriers toward CR should be jointly explored while considering patients’ capacity for making choices as well as their vulnerability. Patients should be encouraged to ask questions. A too strong focus on reassurance and problem-solving can impede enrollment.

Additional file 2. The seven elaborative questions sent out for the PhD students.

Additional file 1. The questionnaire sent out consisting of the System Usability Scale and two additional open-ended questions.

Background: Patients with severe obesity may have special challenges in regard to increasing health and well-being through physical activity (PA). The biggest challenge is maintaining the recommended PA level on a long-term basis. Yet, little focus has been put on the experiences of individuals with severe obesity during PA when physically active in everyday life after intervention has ended. Objective: to explore the experiences of being physically active among individuals with severe obesity in everyday life 18 months after the start of a lifestyle intervention. Design: a qualitative longitudinal study of individual follow-up interviews founded in hermeneutic phenomenology and an existential lifeworld theory of suffering and well-being. The study was approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency (J. no. 1-16-02-425-15). Setting: Interviews were conducted by the same interviewer in the participants’ home environment across three of five regions in Denmark. Patients: Ten adults with severe obesity (BMI >40 kg/m2) previously recruited from a public lifestyle intervention program. Results: The analysis revealed that females and males emphasised different experiences of being active in everyday life. The females experienced ’Appreciation of process and vitality’ and the males experienced ’The challenge of an active and joyful living’. One common main theme emerged: ’Fluctuating mood’ was found to influence physical activity level. Conclusions: The study highlights the experiences of well-being in relation to staying physically active after lifestyle intervention. The fluctuations in mood were part of everyday life and it was an on-going challenge to balance mood in order to keep up the efforts. The ability to find settlement and modify PA expectations was part of feeling capable. Healthcare providers are suggested to address well-being in mood to help patients become and stay physically active in everyday life.