How to Facilitate Adherence to Cardiac Rehabilitation in Primary Health Settings for Ischaemic Heart Disease Patients. The Perspectives of Health Professionals.
Maiken Bay Ravn, Maria Uhd, Marie Louise Svendsen and 2 others
PMID 36188961WHAT IT FOUND
Health professionals described five ways to facilitate cardiac rehabilitation adherence: individual adaptation, coherent referral messaging, shared nonclinical information, attention to family and work barriers, and group belonging.
These are clinician views, not tested outcomes.
Key findings
01Health professionals said individual adaptation matters: some patients need more support, and the programme may need individual sessions or tailored exercise.
02They said cardiac rehabilitation should not be described as an option or only an exercise programme.
03They said dropout is not always due to lack of motivation; family and job situations can also block attendance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study reports views from 11 health professionals in five Danish primary health settings, so it may not apply to other services or countries. It did not interview patients about why they drop out; it asked professionals what they think facilitates adherence. It did not test whether these approaches improve attendance or outcomes. The discussion guide was based on a previous study of patient dropout, so other professional perspectives may not have been raised. The focus groups included nurses, physiotherapists and dietitians, but not other professions that may be involved in cardiac rehabilitation.
Declared interests
This project was funded by Public Health in the Central Denmark Region, a joint effort of municipalities and the region (Grant No. A2617). The authors declared no commercial or financial relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that these methods increase cardiac rehabilitation attendance. They are health professionals' perspectives from a small qualitative study, not a tested intervention.