A recent study by Michigan Medicine reveals that patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation following heart bypass surgery experience a lower risk of death in the subsequent years.
Though most patients are referred to rehabilitation, attendance is low, with a trend towards better outcomes for those attending more sessions.
The study, which analyzed over 6,400 Medicare fee-for-service claims connected to heart bypass surgery in Michigan between 2015 and late 2019, found that patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation experienced a 3-5% reduced mortality rate two years post-surgery.
The maximum benefit was observed in those who completed the recommended 36 or more sessions.
Patients participating in cardiac rehab were generally older, spent less time in the hospital, and were discharged to their homes more often.
Though 94% of patients were referred to the program, only just over half attended a single session, and a mere 12% completed all 36 sessions.
Michael P. Thompson, Ph.D., the senior author of the study, emphasized the importance of both attendance and adherence to cardiac rehabilitation, urging a focus on quality improvement efforts to bolster participation.
The study also underlined the disparity in referral rates, with Black patients, women, minorities, older adults, and those with additional medical conditions being under-referred, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The research highlights the significant gap between referral to cardiac rehabilitation and actual attendance, calling attention to the need for strategies to improve attendance and adherence, particularly among minority and underserved populations.
The study sends a strong message about the importance of cardiac rehabilitation in enhancing the quality of life and outcomes for heart surgery patients. It has been published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery journal.
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The study was published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
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