The BACR database of cardiac rehabilitation units in the UK

Abstract

Objectives: To identify: 1. All the cardiac rehabilitation units in the UK together with the names and addresses of their co-ordinators and the different health professionals involved. 2. The range of patient diagnoses treated. 3. The before and after assessment procedures used. 4. The provision of ongoing support for patients when they leave the programme. 5. Their arrangements for secondary prevention and knowledge of local protocols and arrangements for long-term care.Design : Questionnaire and telephone surveys. Main outcome measures: Names and addresses of all cardiac rehabilitation co-ordinators, the disciplines of their staff, the conditions which they treat, the treatments offered and the outcomes measured together with knowledge of and provision for long-term secondary prevention. Results: 300 centres were identified. Of the 294 who returned questionnaires, nearly all provided a mixture of exercise training, education and stress management. Age was an exclusion factor in 14%. Outcomes in the form of exercise tolerance was measured by 22%, psychological function by 60% and quality of life by 51%. Staffing included nurses, physiotherapists and dieticians in over 80% and doctors and pharmacists in over 60%. Psychologists and social workers were involved in less than 30%. The majority of co-ordinators were involved with or aware of secondary prevention initiatives in their area.