Key result
Cardiac rehabilitation remains underused in Canada, with only ~34% of eligible patients participating.
Why the study?
Despite established clinical practice guidelines and clear effectiveness of cardiac rehabilitation in Canada, participation remains low at 34%, and strategies to increase access for under-represented groups are not universally applied.
Cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Canada. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has a long robust history here, and there are established clinical practice guidelines. While the effectiveness of CR in the Canadian context is clear, only 34% of eligible patients participate, and strategies to increase access for under-represented groups (e.g., women, ethnic minority groups) are not yet universally applied. Identified CR barriers include lack of referral and physician recommendation, travel and distance, and low perceived need. Indeed there is now a national policy position recommending systematic inpatient referral to CR in Canada. Recent development of 30 CR quality indicators and the burgeoning national CR registry will enable further measurement and improvement of the quality of CR care in Canada. Finally, the Canadian Association of CR is one of the founding members of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, to promote CR globally.
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Grace et al. (2013) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease. Cardiac rehabilitation was evaluated. Cardiac rehabilitation is effective for cardiovascular disease management in Canada, yet only 34% of eligible patients participate due to referral, travel, and access barriers.
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