Cardiac Rehabilitation in Australia: A Brief Survey of Program Characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Defining cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program characteristics on a national level is crucial for decision-making on resource allocation and evaluation of service quality. Comprehensive surveys of CR programs have been conducted overseas, but, to date, no such profile had been conducted in Australia.

METHODS: A representative sample of 165 CR programs across Australia were asked to provide details on a range of program characteristics such as program location and size, program elements, and staffing profile.

RESULTS: Australian CR programs differ from their overseas counterparts in characteristics such as program length, number of sessions, number of specialities represented and extent of outreach.

CONCLUSIONS: The study findings point to a need for a routine comprehensive survey of CR programs throughout Australia.