Cardiac rehabilitation in the United Kingdom.
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cost-effective, life-enhancing and life-saving treatment for patients recovering from cardiac illness--from myocardial infarction, revascularisation, angina, heart failure, etc. Its main aims are to help the patient to recover as quickly and completely as possible and then to reduce to a minimum the chance of recurrence of the cardiac illness--it should be an integral step in the management of the patient's condition. Despite the inclusion of CR in the National Service Framework for coronary heart disease only a minority of cardiac patients join CR programmes. Suggestions are made for increasing the uptake.
Bethell
H
H
Basingstoke and Alton Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre, Chawton Park Road, Alton, Hants, UK. bethell@cardiac-rehab.co.uk
Lewin
R
R
Dalal
H
H
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D006113:United Kingdom