A New Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit in Haemek Medical Center. The first Patients Demographic and Clinical Characteristics

Background: Effective implementation of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after acute coronary syndrome, coronary revascularization and heart failure has remained suboptimal despite international heart society’s guidelines recommendations, and despite the inclusion of this therapy in the Israel Basket of health services. One of the reasons is lack of CR units in most of medical centers. At November 2015 a new CR units was opened in Ha’emek Medical Center. The first in Afula and it’s suburbs.

Aim: characterizing the first patients participating in the program, thereby enabling recruitment the suitable team and building a program who would feat the proper needs for the target population.

Methods and Results: since the opening of the CR and during the first 30 days a group of 36 patients have started the program. The clinical and demographic parameters were recorded by the CR physician and was put in an electronic chart. Of the 14 were females (38%), average age 52 years (from 36 to 72 years). Main diagnosis for rehabilitation was mostly post ACS (54%), post CABG (14%), and heart failure (12%). The patients have come mostly from within the city (64%) but also from the nearby cities (22%) or suburbs. 64% of the patients had to come with escort due to debilitating health problems (e.g. post CABG).
Among the small and primary group of patient we found non cardiac problems that needed intervention in 35% of the patients, manly including psychological issues (e.g. panic, depression, and adaptation), orthopedic and diathetic issues.

Conclusion: characterization of patients in the early phase of the CR unit establishment might help focusing the needs for team recruitment and planning a program who feat the local needs.