Improving the odds of compliance: using a brief telephone call to decrease pre-treatment attrition in cardiac rehabilitation

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a brief telephone intervention based on the principles of motivational interviewing to reduce pre-treatment attrition in an Australian cardiac rehabilitation centre. The study was an intact comparison randomly trial. Twenty-eight adult patients diagnosed with symptoms associated with cardio-vascular disease, who were noncompliant to an initial appointment, were randomized to receive either a standard cue call or a motivational interview-based recruitment call. Compliance was measured as attendance at a booked session at the cardiac rehabilitation center. Results showed that patients who received a motivational based telephone call had 6 times the odds as those who received a standard cue telephone call for attending a booked appointment. Reducing pre-treatment attrition from cardio-vascular rehabilitation centers can be accomplished with a brief telephone intervention, which incorporates the spirit of motivational interviewing.