New publication: What predicts success in the QUALIREHAB program?

Not every patient responds to rehabilitation in the same way. Understanding who benefits most — and why — is essential to designing programs that work for every child and young adult, not just the average participant. That is exactly what a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2026 set out to answer.

Led by Mathieu Andrianoely and colleagues — including Pascal Amedro and the full QUALIREHAB Study Group — the paper analyzed data from 70 participants who completed the QUALIREHAB intervention in the original French trial. Using both quantitative statistical modeling and in-depth qualitative interviews with patients and healthcare professionals, the study identified which baseline characteristics were associated with greater clinical improvement after 12 weeks of hybrid cardiac rehabilitation.

The key findings were striking. Patients without a prior history of cardiac surgery or interventional catheterization showed significantly greater short-term improvements in aerobic fitness. At one year, male sex and lower baseline ventilatory anaerobic threshold — a marker of physical deconditioning — were the strongest predictors of cardiopulmonary improvement. Meanwhile, a lower baseline ventilatory threshold was also the only independent predictor of meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life at 12 months.

The qualitative findings told an equally important story. Patients and professionals consistently praised the hybrid structure — combining in-person supervision with home-based sessions — for its accessibility and flexibility. However, they also identified clear opportunities for improvement: more personalized and varied exercise modalities, a unified digital platform, continuous psychological support, and more structured post-rehabilitation follow-up.

Together, these findings support a shift away from standardized rehabilitation models toward tailored, patient-centered approaches — and reinforce the direction that the current EU-funded QUALIREHAB program is already taking.