Patient commitment to cardiac rehabilitation: A qualitative study

Background: Commitment to Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is one of the essential strategies to reduce the long-term complications of cardiovascular disease. The attributes of patients' commitment have not been defined distinctly. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the attributes of commitment to CR from the participants' perspective. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was carried out in Tehran from 2018 to 2019. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with 30 participants, including 13 CR specialists, 13 patients, and four caregivers, through purposeful sampling. The analysis was performed through the conventional content analysis using the Elo and Kyngas approach. Results: Commitment to CR has one theme titled the attitudinal-motivational aspect that consists of four categories including attitudinal-cognitive, attitudinal-behavioral, attitudinal-emotional, and motivational as the core features. The commitment to CR is devotion, internal desire, and voluntary obligation to initiate and continue CR cooperatively, all of which are accompanied by the purposeful initiation of the treatment plan. Conclusions: The patient's commitment to CR is an intrinsic interest in achieving health that stems from the acceptance of the disease and the need for treatment. Besides, the rehabilitation team facilitates purposeful interpersonal relationships between the patient and the treatment group. It provides the basis for the patient's active efforts to meet the challenges of the treatment process.