Front Cardiovasc Med. 2026 Jun 16;13:1757839. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2026.1757839. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation patients often experience issues such as recurrence and reduced exercise tolerance following radiofrequency catheter ablation, which adversely affect postoperative recovery and long-term prognosis. Although current guidelines recommend exercise-based rehabilitation for these patients, its implementation in clinical practice remains suboptimal.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to summarize the best evidence regarding post-ablation exercise rehabilitation for atrial fibrillation, establish structured quality evaluation metrics, and identify barriers in clinical practice, thereby informing standardized management of exercise rehabilitation.
METHODS: This study included evidence synthesis, baseline audit, barrier analysis, and strategy development. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) evidence-based healthcare model, formulated a clear evidence question and established an evidence-based team responsible for literature retrieval and quality assessment, established quality indicators and review methods, analyzed the barriers and facilitators factors, and formed evidence-based practice strategies.
RESULTS: A total of sixteen evidence points across four areas, including exercise timing, assessment, prescription, monitoring, and follow-up. Twenty quality indicators were subsequently developed. Clinical quality evaluation revealed several implementation barriers, such as insufficient localization, inadequate knowledge and skills among healthcare personnel, patient misconceptions, and an incomplete organizational support system. These represent multi-level obstacles.
CONCLUSION: A significant evidence-practice gap exists in post-ablation exercise rehabilitation. The effective translation of evidence into practice entails a thorough analysis of implementation barriers and the subsequent formulation of tailored, evidence-based strategies to facilitate this process.
PMID:42382446 | PMC:PMC13314519 | DOI:10.3389/fcvm.2026.1757839