METHODS - The development of the novel home-based rehabilitation programme, adapted from the "Heart Manual", will follow the guidelines of the MRC for developing complex health service interventions. The steps of the guidelines include: 1) exploring relevant theory; 2) modelling the preliminary intervention by selecting the main components based on the literature and qualitative research; 3) pilot-testing the preliminary intervention; 4) developing the definitive randomised controlled trial; and, 5) implementing and evaluating the randomised controlled trial over the long-term. This study focuses on the first three steps of the MRC framework.