Telerehabilitation vs. centre-based cardiac rehabilitation after acute coronary syndrome: results of the pragmatic TELECOR randomized trial.

Maria Boldó Alcaine, Maria José Durà Mata, Gabriel-Fernando Sandoval Ruíz, Maria Llaberia Marcual, Marta Carceller de la Torre, Mar Domingo Teixidor, Evelyn Santiago Vacas, Antoni Bayés Genís

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In one paragraph

Article in European heart journal open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Maria Boldó AlcainePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9998-8770

Maria José Durà MataPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1109-9803

Gabriel-Fernando Sandoval RuízPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8298-7029

Maria Llaberia MarcualPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4921-4080

Marta Carceller de la TorrePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2449-1376

Mar Domingo TeixidorHeart Failure Clinic, University Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2935-1272

Evelyn Santiago VacasHeart Failure Clinic, University Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7511-406X

Antoni Bayés GenísHeart Failure Clinic, University Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol, Carretera del Canyet, s/n, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3044-197X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Aims: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves cardiovascular outcomes after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but access remains suboptimal. Telerehabilitation may overcome barriers, yet evidence from real-world, public health systems is limited. This randomized controlled trial study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured telerehabilitation programme compared with standard centre-based CR in patients after ACS, focussing on cardiovascular risk factor control and lifestyle adherence. Methods and results: TELECOR is a pragmatic, open-label, randomized trial conducted at a tertiary public hospital. Adults with recent ACS were randomized 1:1 to an 8 week structured telerehabilitation or a centre-based CR programme. The primary outcome was achievement of a composite target (≥4 of 7 predefined cardiovascular and lifestyle goals) at 8 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in functional capacity, medication adherence, quality of life, psychological status, satisfaction, and cardiovascular events at 6 months. A total of 129 patients were randomized (65 telerehabilitation, 64 centre-based). At 8 weeks, 86% of telerehabilitation vs. 79.7% of centre-based participants met the composite target ( Conclusion: In a real-world public hospital setting, telerehabilitation was non-inferior to conventional CR in achieving cardiovascular risk factor control and improving functional capacity. These results support the broader integration of digital CR models into routine secondary prevention care.

Indexed as

Acute coronary syndromeCardiac rehabilitationDigital healthExercise therapySecondary preventionTelerehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID42892836

DOI10.1093/ehjopen/oeag142

PMCPMC13675247

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.