Cardiac College for Women for Heart Disease
(WE-CARE Trial)
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if a women-focused education program can improve knowledge, health, and well-being in women with heart disease who are attending cardiac rehabilitation. It will also help researchers understand if this program can be delivered successfully in different rehabilitation programs.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Is it feasible to deliver this women-focused education program within routine cardiac rehabilitation programs?
* Do women who receive this program show improvements in heart health knowledge, quality of life, and healthy behaviours?
Researchers will compare women who receive the Cardiac College for Women program plus usual cardiac rehabilitation to those who receive usual cardiac rehabilitation alone to see if the program leads to better outcomes.
Participants will:
* Be randomly assigned to receive either the women-focused education program or usual care
* Attend cardiac rehabilitation as part of their regular care
* Complete questionnaires at the start and end of the program
* (If in the intervention group) attend online education sessions and use supporting materials
* (Optional) take part in a group discussion about their experience after completing the program
Who Is on the Research Team?
Gabriela LM Ghisi, PhD
Principal Investigator
University Health Network, Toronto
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for women aged 18 or older who have heart disease and are enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Participants must be able to give consent and take part in education sessions in English or French.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Cardiac College for Women
Trial Overview
The study compares usual cardiac rehab education with an added women-focused program called Cardiac College for Women. Participants are randomly assigned to either group, attend rehab, complete surveys, and may join online sessions if in the intervention group.
How Is the Trial Designed?
2
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Participants receive the Cardiac College for Women program in addition to usual cardiac rehabilitation care. The intervention consists of 12 structured, women-focused online education sessions delivered during the cardiac rehabilitation program. Sessions address sex- and gender-specific cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle behaviours, psychosocial health, and self-management. Participants also receive tailored educational materials and complete a reflection diary. Usual cardiac rehabilitation includes supervised exercise, standard education, and risk factor management.
Participants receive usual cardiac rehabilitation care, which includes supervised exercise, cardiovascular risk factor management, and standard group-based education sessions. Educational content covers topics such as lifestyle modification, medication adherence, and secondary prevention but is not specifically tailored to women.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University Health Network, Toronto
Lead Sponsor
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Collaborator
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