TY - JOUR
T1 - Promoting participation in cardiac rehabilitation: patient choices and experiences
AU - Clark, Alexander M.
AU - Barbour, Rosaline S.
AU - White, Myra
AU - MacIntyre, Paul D.
N1 - dc.publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Reports on a piece of empirical research, which demonstrates the contribution that well-designed qualitative research can make by facilitating comparison - in this case, individuals who had completed cardiac rehabilitation programmes, those who had dropped out, and people who had not taken up the original invitation to attend such sessions.
Research Group 3 - Enhancing Self-care in Disability and Long-Term Conditions
PY - 2004/7
Y1 - 2004/7
N2 - Background. Cardiac rehabilitation can be an effective means for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, but a majority of eligible individuals fail to attend or drop out prematurely. Little research has examined patients’ decisions about attendance. Aims. This paper reports a study examining patients’ beliefs and decision-making about cardiac rehabilitation attendance. Methods. A purposive sample of patients from a mixed urban–rural region of Scotland was studied in 2001 using focus groups. Those who were eligible for a standardized 12-week cardiac rehabilitation programme were compared, with separate focus groups held for individuals with high attendance (>60% attendance; n = 27), high rates of attrition (<60% attendance; n = 9) and non-attendance (0% attendance; n = 8). A total of 44 patients (33 men; 11 women) took part in eight focus groups. Results. Participants from all groups held sophisticated and cohesive frameworks of beliefs that influenced their attendance decisions. These beliefs related to the self, coronary heart disease, cardiac rehabilitation, other attending patients, and health professionals’ knowledge base. An enduring embarrassment about group or public exercise also influenced attendance. Those who attended reported increased faith in their bodies, a heightened sense of fitness and a willingness to support new patients who attended. Conclusions. Reassurance to ease exercise embarrassment should be given before and during the early stages of programmes, and this could be provided by existing patients. Strategies to promote inclusion should address the inhibiting factors identified in the study, and should present cardiac rehabilitation as a comprehensive programme of activities likely to be of benefit to the individual irrespective of personal characteristics, such as age, sex or exercise capacity.
AB - Background. Cardiac rehabilitation can be an effective means for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, but a majority of eligible individuals fail to attend or drop out prematurely. Little research has examined patients’ decisions about attendance. Aims. This paper reports a study examining patients’ beliefs and decision-making about cardiac rehabilitation attendance. Methods. A purposive sample of patients from a mixed urban–rural region of Scotland was studied in 2001 using focus groups. Those who were eligible for a standardized 12-week cardiac rehabilitation programme were compared, with separate focus groups held for individuals with high attendance (>60% attendance; n = 27), high rates of attrition (<60% attendance; n = 9) and non-attendance (0% attendance; n = 8). A total of 44 patients (33 men; 11 women) took part in eight focus groups. Results. Participants from all groups held sophisticated and cohesive frameworks of beliefs that influenced their attendance decisions. These beliefs related to the self, coronary heart disease, cardiac rehabilitation, other attending patients, and health professionals’ knowledge base. An enduring embarrassment about group or public exercise also influenced attendance. Those who attended reported increased faith in their bodies, a heightened sense of fitness and a willingness to support new patients who attended. Conclusions. Reassurance to ease exercise embarrassment should be given before and during the early stages of programmes, and this could be provided by existing patients. Strategies to promote inclusion should address the inhibiting factors identified in the study, and should present cardiac rehabilitation as a comprehensive programme of activities likely to be of benefit to the individual irrespective of personal characteristics, such as age, sex or exercise capacity.
KW - Coronary heart disease
KW - Rehabilitation
KW - Participation
KW - Nursing
KW - Lay beliefs
KW - Secondary prevention
U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03060.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03060.x
M3 - Article
SN - 0309-2402
VL - 47
SP - 5
EP - 14
JO - Journal of Advanced Nursing
JF - Journal of Advanced Nursing
IS - 1
ER -