CCRP CCRP Behavioral Change 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which barrier to cardiac rehabilitation adherence is most commonly reported by patients in the United States?
- Lack of physician referral information
- Transportation difficulties and distance to the program (Correct answer)
- Fear of exercise
- Excessive cost of exercise equipment
Correct answer: Transportation difficulties and distance to the program
Transportation and distance are the most frequently cited barriers to cardiac rehab attendance among US patients.
Question 2: In the context of cardiac rehabilitation, 'relapse prevention' strategies are designed to help patients:
- Avoid cardiac events during exercise
- Identify triggers and cope with lapses to maintain long-term behavior change (Correct answer)
- Prevent medication side effects
- Avoid hospital readmissions only
Correct answer: Identify triggers and cope with lapses to maintain long-term behavior change
Relapse prevention equips patients with strategies to recognize high-risk situations and recover from lapses without abandoning healthy behaviors entirely.
Question 3: Social support in cardiac rehabilitation has been shown to:
- Decrease patient motivation by creating dependency
- Improve adherence, mental health outcomes, and long-term behavior maintenance (Correct answer)
- Increase anxiety about cardiovascular events
- Have no significant effect on outcomes
Correct answer: Improve adherence, mental health outcomes, and long-term behavior maintenance
Strong social support from family, friends, and program staff improves adherence and psychological outcomes in cardiac rehab.
Question 4: Which behavioral technique involves rewarding patients for meeting specific cardiac rehabilitation goals to reinforce healthy behaviors?
- Cognitive restructuring
- Positive reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Systematic desensitization
- Extinction
Correct answer: Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement uses rewards or praise when patients achieve goals, increasing the likelihood of repeating the healthy behavior.
Question 5: A CCRP working with a patient who uses tobacco should first assess the patient's readiness to quit using which framework?
- The 5 A's model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) (Correct answer)
- The RICE model
- The FITT principle
- The ABCDE framework
Correct answer: The 5 A's model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange)
The 5 A's model (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange) is the evidence-based framework for tobacco cessation counseling in clinical settings.
Question 6: Cognitive restructuring in cardiac rehabilitation behavioral change involves helping patients:
- Improve their cognitive function through mental exercises
- Identify and replace negative or inaccurate thoughts that hinder healthy behaviors (Correct answer)
- Memorize medication schedules
- Improve their spatial reasoning
Correct answer: Identify and replace negative or inaccurate thoughts that hinder healthy behaviors
Cognitive restructuring is a CBT technique that helps patients challenge and change unhelpful thought patterns that interfere with lifestyle modification.
CCRP CCRP Behavioral Change 2
Which barrier to cardiac rehabilitation adherence is most commonly reported by patients in the United States?