Evaluation of the Liverpool Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme: A service user-led community-based investigation

In Liverpool, standard Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme varied from 3 - 9 months depending on centre attended. Evidence for setting the duration and patient contact frequency for communitybased cardiac rehabilitation is uncertain. This study was carried out to explore how participants rated the 3 months Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme, whether it was long enough and whether it changed their lifestyle for the better. Questionnaires were administered at the end of the Cardiac Phase4 Rehabilitation Programme and during 3 and 6 months follow-up in the community. The results indicated that about 90% of responders rated the programme to be excellent or good and that the score remained similar even when participants were followed-up at 3 and 6 months after discharge from the Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme. A similar pattern of response was observed for active lifestyle and duration of the Cardiac Phase-4 Programme. Interestingly, the MacNew Heart disease health-related quality of life scores remained similar even at 3 and 6 months after rehabilitation was completed. The result of this study indicates that a 3-months Cardiac Phase-4 Rehabilitation Programme in Liverpool was sufficiently long and that service users rated the programme very highly.