The Role of Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Acute Coronary Syndromes

Growing evidence highlights the important role of post-hospitalization care (i.e., secondary prevention) for patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). While secondary prevention therapies are available that improve patient outcomes, receipt of those treatments by patients is suboptimal. Cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention (CR/SP) services are systematic, effective models of care that improve delivery of preventive therapies and patient outcomes after ACS, but unfortunately, patient participation in CR/SP has been suboptimal, due to patient-, provider-, and system-based barriers. Systematic processes, including automatic referral processes, help reduce these barriers and improve CR/SP participation, along with the associated health benefits. Strength of physician endorsement of CR/SP participation is another key step in improving CR/SP participation and patient outcomes following ACS. Accountability measures for CR/SP referral and enrollment, including performance measures and other quality of care methods, may help improve CR/SP delivery. Early evidence suggests that these measures have helped improve referral of eligible patients to CR/SP programs.