Findings on gender differences in the quality of care in cardiac rehabilitation: are women discriminated against?

Abstract

Questions and results concerning the quality of cardiac rehabilitation are discussed, and the outcomes of a study on 104 female and 206 male patients suffering from first coronary events are reported. No gender differences were found as far as rehabilitation utilization or rehabilitation programs are concerned. Rehabilitation programs and medicinal therapy were the same in women and men. Satisfaction with the in-hospital rehabilitation was slightly higher in women, but there were no gender differences in the preferences for cardiac rehabilitation features. Gender in Germany seems not a relevant variable in cardiac rehabilitation. Further questions for research on gender differences are discussed.