Implementing a home-based exercise prescription for older patients with peripheral arterial disease and intermittent claudication: A quality improvement project

A Nurse Practitioner-led quality improvement project was implemented in a vascular surgical care clinic to facilitate home-based exercise for patients diagnosed with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC). The primary goal of the project was to develop an information brochure about PAD and the benefits of exercise, as well as, a written prescription for home-based exercise program. These materials are used in the care of patients with PAD and IC to augment verbal recommendations normally provided by the healthcare provider. The project’s secondary goal was to determine the impact of these materials on the frequency of home-based exercises among participating patients.After implementation of the project, 70% of the patients who received the exercise brochure and prescription reported exercising at least four times per week. Prior to implementing the project, 7 (47%) of the patients in the project reported exercising at least four times a week. Additionally, on the follow-up survey 16 (94%) patients reported participating in some form of exercise and only 1 (6%) patient did not report exercising. Before the project was implemented, 7 (41%) patients reported no regular exercise, and 10 (59%) patients reported exercise. After the project, there was a 35% increase in reported exercise among the patient population. This was a statistically significant finding in the project. This suggests the prescription could have caused the change in the patient reports.