[Cardiologic rehabilitation. An orienting overview].

The European Society of Cardiology has dealt in detail with concepts of cardiological rehabilitation in 1992 and has published guidelines. According to the opinion of this society, the organization of cardiological rehabilitation can differ among the European countries considering the socio-economic structures, legal and insurance regulations as well as national traditions. Guidelines for the standards of cardiological rehabilitation have to be flexible and adaptable to the organization of each European country. According to the opinion of Müller-Fahrnow, the beginning of modern medical rehabilitation in the Federal Republic of Germany is clearly linked to the development of concepts for cardiological rehabilitation at the end of the sixties and beginning of the seventies with a holistic approach under consideration of a kinetotherapeutic and psychosocial focus. A countrywide introduction of the concept of the following curative treatment at the end of the seventies by the insurances contributed to a significant stabilization of the new qualities of rehabilitation and, again the cardiological rehabilitation played an important role (Müller-Fahrnow W., 1994). This paper demonstrates basic elements and structures of the cardiological rehabilitation in an orientating manner and contains conclusions about the future development.