Heart to Heart: Community Health Worker support to increase cardiac rehabilitation participation
Heart-to-Heart: A Community Health Worker-Led Intervention to Increase Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation Among Patients With Low Socioeconomic Status
This project will try a Community Health Worker–led Heart to Heart program to help adults hospitalized for heart problems who are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation decide about and join cardiac rehab.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 50 (estimated) |
| Ages | 21 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Johns Hopkins University Academic / other |
| Locations | 3 sites (Baltimore, Maryland and 2 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT06908590 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a prospective, single-center pilot enrolling adults hospitalized with cardiovascular events at Johns Hopkins who are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. Participants who meet socioeconomic criteria will be offered the Heart to Heart (H2H) program, which delivers 4 to 8 tailored coaching sessions by a Community Health Worker via phone or video over three months. All participants complete surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, and the study team will abstract medical records to document referrals and participation in cardiac rehab. The study will measure acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary signals of impact on cardiac rehab uptake during up to six months of follow-up.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (age ≥21) hospitalized for cardiac events at Johns Hopkins Hospital or Bayview Medical Center who are eligible for cardiac rehabilitation and meet the study's low socioeconomic status criteria.
Not a fit: Patients with documented dementia, severe psychiatric disorders, limited life expectancy, contraindications to cardiac rehabilitation, or who are unable or unwilling to participate in phone/video coaching are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help more eligible, underserved patients enroll in and complete cardiac rehabilitation, improving recovery after cardiac events.
How similar studies have performed: Community Health Worker and navigation interventions have improved outpatient engagement in other cardiovascular and chronic disease settings, but CHW-led pilots specifically targeting cardiac rehabilitation remain limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients hospitalized with cardiac events and eligible for CR at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview Medical Center. CR eligibility is determined by their treating health care team . 2. Low socioeconomic status defined by Medicaid insurance, or top quartile of the area deprivation index in Baltimore city. 3. Age ≥ 21 years 4. Willing to be audio-recorded Exclusion Criteria: 1. Formal diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) that would prohibit completion of study activities 2. Formal diagnosis of a severe psychiatric disorders by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria in the EHR that would prohibit completion of study activities (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder). 3. Systemic illness limiting longevity (e.g., advanced cancer) 4. Contraindications to CR as assessed by their health care team 5. Unwilling or unable to follow study procedures. 6. Unable to consent 7. Unable to speak or understand English. Assessments including in-depth interviews will be conducted in English.
Where this trial is running
Baltimore, Maryland and 2 other locations
- Johns Hopkins Hospital — Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Recruiting)
- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center — Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Recruiting)
- Johns Hopkins Hospital — Baltimore, Maryland, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Lena Matthews, MD — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Lena Mathews, MD
- Email: lmathew6@jhmi.edu
- Phone: 410-550-5191
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.