Exploring the Effect of Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation on Prevention of Short-term Re-admission: A Hospital-based Study in Fukushima, Japan

Abstract

Objective: This hospital-based study examined whether outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) prevents cardiac-related re-admission within 6 months.
Method: Clinical records of Japanese cardiac disease patients who were hospitalized and recommended for cardiac rehabilitation at a general hospital were analyzed by comparing data from 78 outpatient CR (OCR) participants with data from 179 randomly selected non-participants.
Results: OCR significantly prevented cardiac-related re-admission (odds ratio: 0.24; 95% confidence interval: 0.06–0.91) after controlling for sex and OCR participation-associated factors.
Conclusion: OCR participation may improve short-term prognosis. The positive effects of OCR should be promoted to increase participation.