What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Cross-Sectional. Population: Patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation programs (n=789). Intervention: Psychological and physiological impairments. Primary outcome: MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scales.

What does this research mean for the field?

Psychological impairment is significantly associated with poor health status across all dimensions in cardiac rehabilitation patients, accounting for 16% to 57% of the variability in health status, whereas traditional physiological measures explain very little. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

February 1, 1996

The Relationship of Cardiovascular and Psychological Impairments to the Health Status of Patients Enrolled in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs

Key Result

Psychological impairment was related to all scales of the SF-36 health survey, with multivariate models accounting for 16% to 57% of the variability in health status among cardiac rehab patients.

Study Design

Type

Cross-Sectional (n=789)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

Population

789 patients enrolled in 13 cardiac rehabilitation programs in Massachusetts

Outcome

Health status measured by the MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)patient reported

Psychological distress, rather than traditional physiological impairments, is strongly associated with poor physical and psychological health status in patients entering cardiac rehabilitation.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Understanding the causes of differences in disability among individuals is an important research focus for rehabilitation professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between health status and the impairments commonly associated with cardiovascular pathophysiology. SUBJECTS: The subjects were patients (N=789) enrolled in 13 cardiac rehabilitation programs in Massachusetts. METHODS: Data were collected on psychological and physiological impairments, demographic characteristics, and health status. Multivariate analyses were used to determine which measures of impairment and patient characteristics were related to health status. RESULTS: Psychological impairment was related to all scales of the MOS 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Very few measures of physiological impairment and individual characteristics were related to SF-36 scores. The models accounted for 16% to 57% of the variability of the instrument's scales. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: In patients entering cardiac rehabilitation, psychological distress is related to poor health in both the physical and psychological dimensions. Variability in health status is not well explained by traditional measures of impairment or demographic characteristics. Physical therapists working to address their patients' health needs must consider collecting data, setting goals, and devising interventions that address psychological impairment.

Mark Helpful

Bookmark

Relay