Experience Implementing Supervised Exercise Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease
ABSTRACT Background: Supervised exercise therapy (SET) is a cornerstone of treatment for improving walking distance for individuals with symptomatic peripheral artery disease and claudication. High-quality randomized controlled trials have documented the efficacy of SET as a claudication treatment and led to the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid decision to cover supervised exercise therapy (SET). However, to date, the translation of highly controlled, laboratory-based SET programs in real-world cardiopulmonary rehabilitation settings has not been explored. Methods: In this article, we described our experience integrating SET into existing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs, focusing on patient evaluation, exercise prescription, outcome assessments, strategies to maximize program adherence, and transitioning to home and community-based exercise training. Results: Our team has over 3 years' experience successfully implementing SET in cardiac rehabilitation settings. The experiences communicated here can serve as a model for clinical exercise physiologists as they begin to incorporate SET in their rehabilitation programs. Conclusion: CMS reimbursement has the potential to change clinical practice and utilization of SET for patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease. The experience we have gained through implementation of SET programs across the M Health and Fairview Health Systems and in other Minnesota communities—including specific elements in our programs and the lessons learned from our clinical experience—can inform and help guide development of new programs.