# Determinants, Outcomes, and Financial Incentives Associated with Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollment After Cardiac Surgery

> **NIH AHRQ K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $134,693

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
CANDIDATE: Michael P. Thompson, PhD, is an epidemiologist, health services researcher, and faculty
member in the Department of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Michigan. His long-term career goal is to
conduct impactful, significant, and innovative research that improves the value of cardiac surgery. The
proposed K01 award application includes a 5-year plan for career development and research activities needed
to achieve this career goal and become a successful independent investigator.
BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a multi-disciplinary, evidence-based intervention that improves
outcomes, but has not been widely adopted. Among cardiac surgical patients, clinical trials have demonstrated
that CR extends life, improves cardiovascular function and quality of life, and prevents downstream health care
utilization. Despite this evidence, half of cardiac surgical patients never attend a single session of CR, and only
one-third of CR enrollees finish the entire 36 recommended sessions. Disparities in CR enrollment across have
also been demonstrated across patients, providers, and geographic regions. Improving CR enrollment is
critical to ensuring its full potential for cardiac surgical patients.
RESEARCH AIMS: My long-term goal is to improve the value of cardiac surgical care. The aims of this study
are: (1) to identify determinants of CR enrollment after cardiac surgery, (2) to measure the effect of CR
enrollment after cardiac surgery on clinical and economic outcomes, and (3) to estimate the impact of financial
incentives on CR enrollment after cardiac surgery. In order to achieve these objectives, we propose a series of
quantitative analyses on a unique combination of claims data and clinical data from the IMPROVE Network,
which shares data and best practices across five multicenter cardiovascular quality collaboratives covering
over 90 hospitals in 9 states (~10% of all US cardiac surgical programs).
TRAINING AIMS: Three training aims have been proposed to facilitate the proposal. (1) To gain a deeper
understanding of cardiac surgical care delivery. (2) To gain causal inference skills with in-depth comparative
effectiveness and policy evaluation components. (3) To develop skills and experience in implementation
science methods.
IMPACT: Findings from this proposal will provide evidence needed to develop the necessary evidence to
appropriately expand and incentivize CR enrollment after cardiac surgery, which will increase the value of
cardiac surgical care. The proposal is directly responsive to AHRQ’s interest in (i) generating evidence that will
increase the affordability, efficiency, and quality of health and (ii) health services research to achieve a high-
value healthcare system. Above all, the proposed research strategy, career development plan, mentorship,
and institutional environment will cultivate my growth into an independent health services researcher.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10434698
- **Project number:** 5K01HS027830-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Patrick Thompson
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AHRQ
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $134,693
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10434698

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10434698, Determinants, Outcomes, and Financial Incentives Associated with Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollment After Cardiac Surgery (5K01HS027830-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10434698. Licensed CC0.

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