Attendance rates and outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation in Victoria, 1998.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the patterns of use of cardiac rehabilitation in Victoria and to assess whether the survival benefits predicted in clinical trials have been realised in the community.


METHODS
Cohort study based on data linkage.


METHODS
All patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in Victoria in 1998 (n = 12821).


METHODS
Attendance at one of 66 participating outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centres in Victoria.


METHODS
Rates of attendance at rehabilitation based on key factors such as diagnosis, age, sex, and comorbidity. Five-year survival for attendees compared with non-attendees.


RESULTS
Rates of participation in rehabilitation were 15% for AMI, 37% for CABG, and 14% for PTCA. Rehabilitation attendance rates dropped sharply after 70 years of age. Attendees had a 35% improvement in 5-year survival (hazard ratio for death associated with rehabilitation attendance, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.56-0.75]).


CONCLUSIONS
Attendance rates at cardiac rehabilitation are suboptimal, even though attendance confers a clinically significant difference in 5-year survival. The elderly, women, and those with comorbid conditions may benefit measurably from increased rates of attendance.
Sundararajan
Vijaya
V
Department of Human Services, L18/120 Spencer St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. vijaya.sundararajan@dhs.vic.gov.au
Bunker
Stephen J
SJ
Begg
Stephen
S
Marshall
Ric
R
McBurney
Helen
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology