Reminders boost use of cardiac rehab (Canada)

Combining automated reminders with one-on-one conversations with a healthcare provider may be the best way to get heart patients to take advantage of cardiac rehabilitation, Canadian researchers found. A prospective study of more than 2,600 inpatients with acute coronary syndromes found that this dual approach led to the highest rates of referral to and enrollment in cardiac rehab (85.3% and 74%, respectively) than either strategy alone - and were better than a referral at the discretion of a physician, according to Sherry Grace, PhD, of York University in Toronto, and colleagues. Once patients were referred, however, the percentage of rehab sessions attended did not differ based on the referral approach. Overall, the average participation rate was 82.9%, Grace and co-authors reported in the February 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. "Wider adoption of such strategies could ensure that 45% more patients being treated for cardiac disease would have access to and realize the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation," they wrote