Blended Cardiac Rehabilitation Training for Cardiology Residents

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Common online cardiac rehabilitation curriculum: A seven-module online course covering cardiac rehabilitation principles, phase I and II rehabilitation, CPET, exercise prescription, the five prescriptions, multidisciplinary care, and acute-event management.

Matched supplementary online learning: Additional online case discussion and structured self-study assignments covering the same seven modules and matched in scheduled duration to the blended group's in-person sessions.

Hospital-based case and practice sessions: Seven supervised sessions in the cardiology ward, outpatient clinic, and CPET laboratory. Residents practice assessment, risk stratification, CPET interpretation, individualized exercise prescription, patient education, multidisciplinary planning, and simulated acute-event management with immediate instructor feedback.

Study summary

This randomized controlled trial compares supervised hospital-based practice with matched online activities as part of a common cardiac rehabilitation curriculum for cardiology residents. Ninety-eight residents will be allocated 1:1 to a blended group or an online control group. Both groups will receive the same seven-module online curriculum and the same total scheduled learning time. The blended group will complete a matched block of in-person practice in the cardiology ward, outpatient clinic, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing laboratory, whereas the control group will complete matched-duration supplementary online activities. The primary outcome is the post-training 25-item cardiac rehabilitation knowledge score adjusted for the baseline score. Key secondary outcomes are Mini-CEX and procedure-specific DOPS scores assessed by assessors blinded to allocation.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Post-training cardiac rehabilitation knowledge score adjusted for baseline — Immediately after completion of the 7-week course
  A fixed 25-item multiple-choice examination assesses cardiac rehabilitation fundamentals, phase I rehabilitation, phase II rehabilitation, CPET, exercise prescription, and case-based application. Each correct answer is worth 4 points; total scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. The primary estimand is the adjusted between-group difference in the post-training total score from ANCOVA with the baseline total score as a covariate.

Trial sites (1)

More Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of Medicine trials in China

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