Improving Veteran Referral to Cardiac Rehabilitation

NCT07079358 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: IIR 23-171
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 816
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

This study will test whether the Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program (VCR2P) improves cardiac rehabilitation participation by studying 816 Veterans across three VA medical centers in Nashville, Dallas, and Gainesville over 12 months. The trial compares referral rates from the 6 months before implementing the program to 6 months after, using a "before and after" design since randomization would be impractical. The study will measure whether the program increases the proportion of eligible Veterans who receive cardiac rehabilitation referrals and whether more Veterans actually attend rehabilitation sessions. Additionally, focus groups with physicians, nurses, and Veterans will identify what helps or hinders the program's success, providing essential insights for expanding this intervention to other VA facilities nationwide if it proves effective.

Conditions

Cardiovascular Disease; Cardiac Rehabilitation

Keywords

Cardiac Rehabilitation; Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cardiac rehabilitation referral

  Proportion of eligible Veterans referred to cardiac rehabilitation.

  From hospital admission to 30 days after discharge

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Cardiac rehabilitation initiation

  Within 6 months of hospital discharge

Study Arms (1)

Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program

EXPERIMENTAL

All eligible Veterans hospitalized with cardiac rehabilitation-eligible conditions (acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac valve surgery, or systolic heart failure) will receive the VCR2P intervention.

Behavioral: Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program

Interventions

Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program BEHAVIORAL

1. A CDS tool that identifies Veterans hospitalized with CR-eligible conditions and prompts physicians to refer them to CR. 2. Educational materials that explain to Veterans the benefits and importance of participating in CR. 3. Defined responsibilities for a facility-based CR referral coordinator who will support development and oversight of the referral process.

Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• All Veterans hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiac valve surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, or systolic heart failure at the three participating VA medical centers (Nashville, Dallas, and Gainesville).

You may not qualify if:

• however, post-hoc analysis will exclude Veterans with documented reasons preventing CR attendance including death during hospitalization or within 30 days of discharge, discharge to inpatient rehabilitation or skilled nursing facilities, significant cognitive impairment, high-risk ventricular arrhythmias, or explicit refusal of CR services.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• VA Office of Research and Development: lead

Study Sites (3)

North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, FL

Gainesville, Florida, 32608-1135, United States

RECRUITING

Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Nashville Campus, Nashville, TN

Nashville, Tennessee, 37212-2637, United States

RECRUITING

VA North Texas Health Care System Dallas VA Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Dallas, Texas, 75216-7167, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Officials

• Justin M Bachmann, MD MPH

  Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Nashville Campus, Nashville, TN

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Justin M Bachmann, MD MPH

CONTACT

(615) 327-4751; justin.bachmann2@va.gov

Ray Stokes Peebles, MD

CONTACT

(615) 327-4751; Ray.Peebles@va.gov

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: FED
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A single-arm, pre-post intervention study comparing cardiac rehabilitation referral rates 6 months before and 6 months after implementing the Veterans Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral Program (VCR2P) at three VA medical centers.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2025
• First Posted: July 23, 2025
• Study Start: February 23, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2029
• Last Updated: June 17, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (3)