Primary health care resources for rehabilitation and secondary prevention after myocardial infarction - a questionnaire survey

Exploration of the feasibility to combine patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure in self-management groups with focus on exercise self-efficacy

OBJECTIVE

To compare the level of exercise self-efficacy, symptoms, functional capacity and health status and investigate the association between these variables in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF). Additionally, to investigate how diagnosis, symptoms and patient characteristics are associated with exercise self-efficacy in these patient groups.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Primary care.

SUBJECTS

Patients (n = 150) with COPD (n = 60), CHF (n = 60) and a double diagnosis (n = 30).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Swedish SCI Exercise Self-Efficacy score, modified Medical Research Council Dyspnea score (mMRC), fatigue score, pain severity score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, functional capacity measured as six-minute walking distance and health status measured by a Visual Analogue Scale.

RESULTS

Levels of exercise self-efficacy, health status and symptoms were alike for patients with COPD and patients with CHF. Functional capacity was similar after correction for age. Associations with exercise self-efficacy were found for slight dyspnea (mMRC = 1) (R -4.45; 95% CI -8.41- -0.50), moderate dyspnea (mMRC = 2) (-6.60;-10.68- -2.52), severe dyspnea (mMRC ≥ 3) (-9.94; -15.07- -4.80), fatigue (-0.87;-1.41- -0.32), moderate pain (-3.87;-7.52- -0.21) and severe pain (-5.32;-10.13- -0.52), symptoms of depression (-0.98;-1.42- -0.55) and anxiety (-0.65;-0,10- -0.32), after adjustment for diagnosis, sex and age.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Patients with COPD or CHF have similar levels of exercise self-efficacy, symptoms, functional capacity and health status. More severe symptoms are associated with lower levels of exercise self-efficacy regardless of diagnosis, sex and age. When forming self-management groups with a focus on exercise self-efficacy, it seems more relevant to consider level of symptoms than the specific diagnosis of COPD or CHF.Key pointsExercise training is an important part of self-management in patients with COPD and chronic heart failure (CHF). High exercise self-efficacy is required for optimal exercise training.Patients with COPD and CHF have similar symptoms and similar levels of exercise self-efficacy, functional capacity and health status.Not the diagnosis, but symptoms of dyspnea, fatigue, pain, depression and anxiety are important factors influencing exercise self-efficacy and need to be addressed.When forming self-management groups with a focus on exercise self-efficacy, it seems more relevant to consider the level of symptoms than the specific diagnosis of COPD or CHF.

Global estimates of the need for rehabilitation based on the Global Burden of Disease study 2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND

Rehabilitation has often been seen as a disability-specific service needed by only few of the population. Despite its individual and societal benefits, rehabilitation has not been prioritised in countries and is under-resourced. We present global, regional, and country data for the number of people who would benefit from rehabilitation at least once during the course of their disabling illness or injury.

METHODS

To estimate the need for rehabilitation, data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 were used to calculate the prevalence and years of life lived with disability (YLDs) of 25 diseases, impairments, or bespoke aggregations of sequelae that were selected as amenable to rehabilitation. All analyses were done at the country level and then aggregated to seven regions: World Bank high-income countries and the six WHO regions (ie, Africa, the Americas, Southeast Asia, Europe, Eastern Mediterranean, and Western Pacific).

FINDINGS

Globally, in 2019, 2·41 billion (95% uncertainty interval 2·34-2·50) individuals had conditions that would benefit from rehabilitation, contributing to 310 million [235-392] YLDs. This number had increased by 63% from 1990 to 2019. Regionally, the Western Pacific had the highest need of rehabilitation services (610 million people [588-636] and 83 million YLDs [62-106]). The disease area that contributed most to prevalence was musculoskeletal disorders (1·71 billion people [1·68-1·80]), with low back pain being the most prevalent condition in 134 of the 204 countries analysed.

INTERPRETATION

To our knowledge, this is the first study to produce a global estimate of the need for rehabilitation services and to show that at least one in every three people in the world needs rehabilitation at some point in the course of their illness or injury. This number counters the common view of rehabilitation as a service required by only few people. We argue that rehabilitation needs to be brought close to communities as an integral part of primary health care to reach more people in need.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Trajectoire et vécu des personnes traitées pour un infarctus du myocarde en région éloignée : étude exploratoire descriptive

Introduction : Cardiovascular disease is on the rise and is the second leading cause of death among Canadians. Background : The care pathway followed by myocardial infarction patients in remote areas has an impact on their continuity of care.Objective : To describe the care pathway of myocardial infarction patients living in a remote area.Methods : A qualitative formative research design was used. Two samples were created, the first comprising sixteen people who had undergone a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and the second made up of four health professionals working in Family Medicine Groups (FMGs).Results : Eight steps were identified and three priority needs were raised, namely : 1) understanding the pathway of care and services ; 2) effectively communicating health information to the various establishments ; and 3) setting up follow-up by FMG health professionals when the patient returns home.Discussion : Nurses play a key role in all steps of the pathway and in meeting patients’ needs.Conclusion : The care and service pathway are suboptimal but the same for participants from this remote area.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Delivery Model for Low-Resource Settings: An International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Consensus Statement

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global epidemic, which is largely preventable. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is demonstrated to be efficacious and cost-effective for secondary prevention in high-income countries. Given its affordability, CR should be more broadly implemented in middle-income countries as well. Hence, the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR) convened a writing panel to recommend strategies to deliver all core CR components in low-resource settings, namely: (1) initial assessment, (2) lifestyle risk factor management (i.e., diet, tobacco, mental health), (3) medical risk factor management (lipids, blood pressure), (4) education for self-management; (5) return to work; and (6) outcome evaluation. Approaches to delivering these components in alternative, arguably lower-cost settings, such as the home, community and primary care, are provided. Recommendations on delivering each of these components where the most-responsible CR provider is a non-physician, such as an allied healthcare professional or community health care worker, are also provided.

Cardiac rehabilitation delivery model for low-resource settings

Objective

Cardiovascular disease is a global epidemic, which is largely preventable. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is demonstrated to be cost-effective and efficacious in high-income countries. CR could represent an important approach to mitigate the epidemic of cardiovascular disease in lower-resource settings. The purpose of this consensus statement was to review low-cost approaches to delivering the core components of CR, to propose a testable model of CR which could feasibly be delivered in middle-income countries.

Methods

A literature review regarding delivery of each core CR component, namely: (1) lifestyle risk factor management (ie, physical activity, diet, tobacco and mental health), (2) medical risk factor management (eg, lipid control, blood pressure control), (3) education for self-management and (4) return to work, in low-resource settings was undertaken. Recommendations were developed based on identified articles, using a modified GRADE approach where evidence in a low-resource setting was available, or consensus where evidence was not.

Results

Available data on cost of CR delivery in low-resource settings suggests it is not feasible to deliver CR in low-resource settings as is delivered in high-resource ones. Strategies which can be implemented to deliver all of the core CR components in low-resource settings were summarised in practice recommendations, and approaches to patient assessment proffered. It is suggested that CR be adapted by delivery by non-physician healthcare workers, in non-clinical settings.

Conclusions

Advocacy to achieve political commitment for broad delivery of adapted CR services in low-resource settings is needed.