Background
The benefits of high quality cardiac rehabilitation are well known and include reductions in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, reduced readmissions and length of stay, and improved symptoms and wellbeing. During phase three cardiac rehabilitation patients return to the hospital as outpatients and take part in structured exercise classes and educational sessions. In recent years we have seen many advancements in cardiovascular medicine. Public health initiatives, developments in the optimization of medial therapy, enhanced emergency care, new procedures and new technologies have led to changes in the demographics attending phase three cardiac rehabilitation, with new patient groups presenting and traditional patient groups being more capable of engaging in high intensity exercise. Alongside these demographic changes there is now evidence to support the provision of “non-traditional” phase three cardiac rehabilitation, examples would include exercise classes delivered using telehealth, the use of high intensity interval training or Tai Chi based exercise.
Aims
To conduct a user centred evaluation of the phase three cardiac rehabilitation service at Conolly Hospital and to explore potential future directions the service may take through focus groups/interviews with patient and clinician stakeholders as well as through the analysis of empirical data. We wish to explore access to the service, service delivery and organisation, an evaluation of the service outcomes, quality of care (patient safety, patient experience and effectiveness of care), and potential changes or improvements in service provision.
Hypotheses
We will explore and clarify subjective experiences of cardiac rehabilitation as well as objectively determining the efficacy of the service.
Impact
We hope to establish recommendations for improvement of phase three cardiac rehabilitation at a local level, and to submit results to the Irish Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation at a national level. Finally we will publish our results in a journal which will enable international impact.