Abstract

Norman J. Heritage*, Edward Barnes, Brian Perry, Belinda Nelson, Matthew Shaw and Bashir M. Matata

In Liverpool, standard Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme varied from 3 - 9 months depending on centre attended. Evidence for setting the duration and patient contact frequency for community-based cardiac rehabilitation is uncertain. This study was carried out to explore how participants rated the 3 months Cardiac Phase4 Rehabilitation Programme, whether it was long enough and whether it changed their lifestyle for the better. Questionnaires were administered at the end of the Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme and during 3 and 6 months follow-up in the community. The results indicated that about 90% of responders rated the programme to be excellent or good and that the score remained similar even when participants were followed-up at 3 and 6 months after discharge from the Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme. A similar pattern of response was observed for active lifestyle and duration of the Cardiac Phase-4 Programme. Interestingly, the MacNew Heart disease healthrelated quality of life scores remained similar even at 3 and 6 months after rehabilitation was completed. The result of this study indicates that a 3-months Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme in Liverpool was sufficiently long and that service users rated the programme very highly.