{"id":2997,"date":"2010-09-22T11:18:20","date_gmt":"2010-09-22T16:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/?p=2997"},"modified":"2025-05-09T19:59:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T00:59:00","slug":"cardiac-rehabiliation-referrals-underutilized","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2010\/09\/22\/cardiac-rehabiliation-referrals-underutilized\/","title":{"rendered":"Patient Concern: Cardiac Rehab Referrals Continue To Disappoint"},"content":{"rendered":"

From my own experience and patient research, I know that the physical, social and mental benefits of attending a good cardiac rehabilitation program are overwhelming. Unfortunately, physician referrals of these patient programs are… underwhelming.<\/p>\n

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\"Adam\u00a0Me Peddling Away On The Bike At Cardiac Rehab<\/p>\n

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I’ve been disgruntled about this in the past. But, today I received an email from Karen which included an updated study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology about cardiac rehab referrals.<\/p>\n

Ready for the big finding of the study?<\/p>\n

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Currently, only 20% of cardiac patients who could benefit from cardiac rehabilitation are referred to outpatient rehabilitation facilities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Needless to say, my eyes bulged when I read that statistic.<\/p>\n

The referral rate was less than the last time I reviewed a similar study. Thankfully, I’m not alone in my disappointment.<\/p>\n

“The gap in referral of patients to cardiac rehabilitation represents the largest gap in care for patients following a cardiac event,” said Randal J. Thomas, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.<\/p>\n

To enhance your recovery, I encourage patients and their caregivers to develop a complete and thoughtful approach to heart valve surgery. In my opinion, attending cardiac rehab should be a key ingredient of that approach.<\/p>\n

For me, the moment I started cardiac rehab<\/a> became the turning point in my recovery.<\/p>\n

Being with the other patients and cardiac nurses helped me through several post-operative issues including chest pain and cardiac depression. That said, I really, really, really (emphasis added) hope you take the time to locate a cardiac rehab program prior to surgery.<\/p>\n

Related Links:<\/p>\n