Age Differences in Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation

Older patients with heart disease experience more CR barriers, and the nature of their barriers differs from those of younger patients. Health care professionals should identify and address these barriers in order to optimize the benefits of CR use for elderly patients.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Geographic Issues in Cardiac Rehabilitation Utilization: A Narrative Review.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review the current evidence regarding the relationship between geographic indicators and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) utilization among coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Results: Seventeen articles were identified for inclusion, where nine studies assessed rurality, 10 studies assessed travel time / distance, and two of these studies assessed both. Nine of the 17 studies (52.9%) showed a significant negative relationship between geographic barrier and CR use. Four of the 17 studies (23.5%) showed a null relationship, while four studies (23.5%) showed mixed findings. Inconsistent findings identified appeared to be related to restricted geographic range, regional density, and socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Overall, 52.9% of the identified studies reported a significant negative relationship between geographic indicators and CR utilization. This relationship appeared to be particularly consistent in North American and Australian settings, but somewhat less so in the United Kingdom where there is greater population density and availability of public transport

Drive time to cardiac rehabilitation: at what point does it affect utilization?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A 30 minute drive time threshold has often been cited as indicative of accessible health services. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a chronic disease management program designed to enhance and maintain cardiovascular health, and geographic barriers to utilization are often cited. The purpose of this study was to empirically test the drive time threshold for CR utilization.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective study, using a multi-level design of coronary artery disease outpatients nested within 97 cardiologists. Participants completed a baseline sociodemographic survey, and reported CR referral, enrollment and participation in a second survey 9 months later. CR utilization was verified with CR sites. Geographic information systems were used to generate drive times at 60, 80 and 100% of the speed limit to the closest CR site from participants' homes, to take into consideration various traffic conditions. Bivariate analysis was used to test for differences in CR referral, enrollment and degree of participation by drive time. Logistic regression was used to test drive time increments where significant differences were found.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Drive times were generated for 1209 outpatients. Overall, CR referral was verified for 523 (43.3%) outpatients, with verified enrollment for 444 (36.7%) participating in a mean of 86.4 ± 25.7% of prescribed sessions. There were significant differences in CR referral and enrollment by drive time (ps < .01), but not degree of participation. Logistic regression analysis (ps < .001) revealed that the drive time threshold at 80% of the posted speed limit for physician referral may be 60 minutes (OR = .26, 95% CI: 0.13-0.55), and the threshold for patient CR enrollment may also be 60 minutes (OR = .11, 95% CI: 0.04-0.33).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Physicians may be taking geography into consideration when referring patients to CR. Empirical consideration also reveals that patients are significantly less likely to enroll in CR where they must drive 60 minutes or more to the closest program. Once enrolled, distance has no significant effect on degree of participation.</p

There Are Gender Differences in the Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation

Gender is an important factor that impacts health equity and access to healthcare programs and services. Healthcare professionals need to recognize that men and women behave differently within the environmental healthcare context. In order to improve women’s participation in secondary management programs, such as CR, psychosocial roles should be addressed, health information should be carefully discussed, and finally, physicians should encourage women to take part in programs that are proven to improve their health.York's Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services and funding for faculty, graduate students, and community organizations seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. It is supported by SSHRC and CIHR grants, and by the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

The Role of Clinical and Geographic Factors in the Use of Hospital versus Home-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation

Objective: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is most often provided in a hospital setting. Home-based models of care have been developed to overcome geographic, among other, barriers in patients at lower-risk. This study assessed whether clinical and geographic factors were related to use of either a hospital- or home-based program. Methods: Secondary analysis was undertaken within a study of 1268 cardiac outpatients recruited from 97 cardiologist practices where clinical data were extracted. Participants completed a survey including the Duke Activity Status Index. They reported CR utilization in a second survey mailed 9 months later, including CR site and program model. Geographic information systems was used to determine distances and drive times to the CR site attended from patients’ homes. Results: Overall, 469 (37.0%) participants attended CR at one of 41 programs. Of the 373 (79.5%) participants with complete geographic data, 43 (11.5%) reported attending home-based CR. The sole clinical difference was in activity status, where patients attending hospital-based program had lower activity status (p.05). Conclusions: Only one-tenth of outpatients participated in a home-based program, and this allocation was unrelated geographic considerations. While patients should continue to be appropriately-triaged based on clinical risk to ensure safety, more targeted allocation of patients to home-based services may be warranted. This may optimize degree of participation, and potentially patient outcomes.Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant MOP-7443

Distance and Transportation as Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation in Urban and Rural Coronary Artery disease Outpatients

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a proven means to reduce morbidity and mortality among cardiac outpatients but is grossly under-utilized. Transportation, distance and travel time are frequently cited barriers to participation. The purpose of this study was to compare CR participation rates between urban and rural cardiac outpatients and examine perceived distance and transportation barriers. Methods: 255 cardiac outpatients (mean age 68+11 years; 76%(194) male) of 97 Ontario cardiologists completed a survey within an on-going prospective study. The second digit of A0A in the postal code designated rural status and was verified with Statistics Canada 2001 Census. Using a 5-point Likert scale outpatients indicated the degree to which transportation and distance were barriers and self-reported travel time to CR and percentage of sessions attended. Results: 87% (223) of outpatients lived in an urban area, while 13% (32) were rural. Overall, 44%(113) participated in CR, with 46% (102) urban and 34% (11) being rural (P > 0.05). Transportation barriers were significantly related to CR participation (P < 0.01), whereas distance was not. Data were split by geographic area and transportation was only significantly related to CR participation among urban outpatients (P < 0.01). Urban outpatients reported a mean travel time of 25&#177;18 minutes compared to 68&#177;53 for rural outpatients (P < 0.0001). The mean percentage of CR sessions participated in was 84&#177;28%, which did not differ by geographic status. Conclusions: Contrary to previous research, living in a rural area and perceived distance were not related to CR participation. However data collection is ongoing. Rural outpatients had longer travel times yet perceived no distance or transportation barriers. Transportation barriers for urban outpatients may be related to population density and traffic delays. Efforts to reduce transportation-related barriers in urban areas such as improving public transportation or increasing home-based CR provision may be warranted

Virtual care use prior to emergency department admissions during a stable COVID-19 period in Ontario, Canada.

BackgroundThe increased use of telemedicine to provide virtual outpatient visits during the pandemic has led to concerns about potential increased emergency department (ED) admissions and outpatient service use prior to such admissions. We examined the frequency of virtual visits use prior to ED admissions and characterized the patients with prior virtual visit use and the physicians who provided these outpatient visits.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional analysis using linked health administrative data in Ontario, Canada to identify patients who had an ED admission between July 1 and September 30, 2021 and patients with an ED admissions during the same period in 2019. We grouped patients based on their use of outpatient services in the 7 days prior to admission and reported their sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare utilization.ResultsThere were 1,080,334 ED admissions in 2021 vs. 1,113,230 in 2019. In 2021, 74% of these admissions had no prior outpatient visits (virtual or in-person) within 7 days of admission, compared to 75% in 2019. Only 3% of ED admissions had both virtual and in-person visits in the 7 days prior to ED admission. Patients with prior virtual care use were more likely to be hospitalized than those without any outpatient care (13% vs 7.7.%).InterpretationThe net amount of ED admissions and outpatient care prior to admission remained the same over a period of the COVID-19 pandemic when cases were relatively stable. Virtual care seemed to be able to appropriately triage patients to the ED and virtual visits replaced in-person visits ahead of ED admissions, as opposed to being additive

Identifying Best Implementation Practices for Smoking Cessation in Complex Cancer Settings

Background: In response to evidence about the health benefits of smoking cessation at time of cancer diagnosis, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) (OH-CCO) instructed Regional Cancer Centres (RCC) to implement smoking cessation interventions (SCI). RCCs were given flexibility to implement SCIs according to their context but were required to screen new patients for tobacco status, advise patients about the importance of quitting, and refer patients to cessation supports. The purpose of this evaluation was to identify practices that influenced successful implementation across RCCs. Methods: A realist evaluation approach was employed. Realist evaluations examine how underlying processes of an intervention (mechanisms) in specific settings (contexts) interact to produce results (outcomes). A realist evaluation may thus help to generate an understanding of what may or may not work across contexts. Results: The RCCs with the highest Tobacco Screening Rates used a centralized system. Regarding the process for advising and referring, three RCCs offered robust smoking cessation training, resulting in advice and referral rates between 80% and 100%. Five RCCs surpassed the target for Accepted Referral Rates; acceptance rates for internal referral were highest overall. Conclusion: Findings highlight factors that may influence successful SCI implementation