Recruitment of women to cardiac rehabilitation: uptake and outcome measures

Abstract

Background/Aims National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation reports consistently illustrate that cardiac rehabilitation programmes are failing to recruit women. Wolverhampton's cardiac rehabilitation service offers a choice of exercise localities and modalities, ladies-only classes plus a stress-management programme. The aims of this retrospective analysis were to undertake a service review to examine phase III uptake in females compared with males, and to compare outcome measures. Methods Retrospective data were analysed to examine uptake to core phase III services in males and females. Outcome measures were compared between genders. Results Uptake by females to core components of cardiac rehabilitation increased from 43% in 2015/2016 to 84% in 2017/2018. There were no significant gender differences in the outcome measures. Conclusions The percentage of female patients attending core components of phase III as a proportion of the total was comparable with those seen during phase I. Offering a choice of exercise localities and modalities, combined with psychological support increased uptake in women. Gender did not have a significant impact on outcome measures following core phase III.