Cardiac Rehabilitation in Australia: A Brief Survey of Program Characteristics

Abstract

Background: Defining cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program characteristics on a national level is crucial for decision-making on resource allocation and evaluation of service quality. Comprehensive surveys of CR programs have been conducted overseas, but, to date, no such profile had been conducted in Australia. Methods: A representative sample of 165 CR programs across Australia were asked to provide details on a range of program characteristics such as program location and size, program elements, and staffing profile. Results: Australian CR programs differ from their overseas counterparts in characteristics such as program length, number of sessions, number of specialities represented and extent of outreach. Conclusions: The study findings point to a need for a routine comprehensive survey of CR programs throughout Australia. © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ)