title: Factors affecting outpatient cardiac rehabilitation attendance after acute myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization--a local experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine factors affecting cardiac rehabilitation attendance after myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 416 patients admitted in Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi from December 2010 to May 2011. Patients admitted with diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or who underwent elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures were offered cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Out of these, patients who enrolled in 6 weeks outpatient CR programme were followed for number of CR sessions and their socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. Data was analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 15.0. Chi-square test was applied to test association between categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 416 patients identified, only 151 patients (36.2%) enrolled and attended the CR programme. Of the 151 attendees, 111 (73.4%) patients subsequently completed more than 6 weeks of outpatient CR programme. We found significant association between CR attendance and easy access to the programme, elective CABG procedure, employment status, presence of diabetes or hypertension and baseline level of exercise (all p < or = 0.01). No association was found between CR attendance and patient age, gender, body mass index or different economic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Attendance rates of patients attending outpatient CR programme after AMI or coronary revascularization procedures are suboptimal. Patients who underwent elective CABG surgery and had easy access to the CR programme had better attendance. Factors contributing to poor attendance rates at CR programmes in developing countries need to be explored and subsequently addressed.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Muhammad
authors: M
authors: Ali
authors: Faisal
authors: F
authors: Qadir
authors: Salman
authors: S
authors: Javed
authors: Zohaib Nawaz
authors: ZN
authors: Khan
authors: Sidra
authors: S
authors: Asad
authors: Bashir
authors: B
authors: Hanif
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D010154:Pakistan; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors