title: Quality of life after participation in a rural phase II cardiac rehabilitation program.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a cardiac rehabilitation program (phase II) in improving participants' quality of life (QOL). Existing data collected previously by a not-for-profit rural community hospital using the SF-36 tool were analyzed. The secondary data consisted of precardiac and post-cardiac rehabilitation SF-36 scores for 121 phase II participants. All the 8 subscale post scores of the SF-36 were higher when compared to the pre-rehabilitation scores. In this non-controlled trial, results suggest that participation in rural cardiac rehabilitation programs may improve patients' perceptions of QOL and health.
authors.affiliation: Quad Cities Regional Program and the College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Moline, IL 61265, USA.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aude
authors.forename: Pamela D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000592:standards; D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000592:standards*; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D015146:Midwestern United States; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000592:standards*; D012380:Role; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires