Background: Activity trackers improve health profile and cardiorespiratory fitness, and reinforce positive health behaviours in patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. However, clinicians perceptions of activity trackers and their use in clinical practice have not been widely explored.
Purpose: To describe perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours of CR clinicians towards the use and usefulness of activity trackers in CR programs, and identify barriers and enablers associated with their use.
Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with data collected from April to December 2023. Clinicians were recruited via social media, email and digital flyers, group chats and author networks.
Results: In total, 199 clinicians from Australia, Brazil and Canada responded. Most were women (74%) with a median age of 35 years (range 22-71). Most found activity trackers helpful with goal setting and monitoring exercise (89%), promoting patient engagement and autonomy (75%), engaging patients in their own health (94%), boosting adherence with exercise (87%), and improving patients understanding of their own health conditions (79%). However, 50% reported a lack of relevant policies on activity trackers for clinical use and limited funding for purchasing activity trackers by health services (78%). Only 30% had support from leadership and/or peers for the use of activity trackers.
Conclusion: Clinicians held positive attitudes towards the use of activity trackers in CR. However, a lack of relevant policies, funding and support from leadership are important barriers to the adoption and use of activity trackers in CR programs. Guidance on how to integrate activity trackers into cardiovascular care is needed.