Barriers to the Availability and Effectiveness of Cardiac Rehabilitation

Abstract

It has been proven and widely accepted that comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation that underlies secondary prevention reduces morbidity, disability, and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and their complications, improves quality of life, and minimizes economic losses to the healthcare system and the state as a whole. Unfortunately, despite the recognized benefits of cardiac rehabilitation, it remains underutilized or inadequately utilized. In addition to the common barriers to participation in rehabilitation that occur in most countries, the Russian Federation faces a number of limiting factors related to discrepancies between current regulations and clinical guidelines on cardiac rehabilitation, which critically impacts the rehabilitation of cardiac patients. To address this issue, it would be appropriate to separate cardiac rehabilitation from the "medical rehabilitation of patients with somatic diseases." This situation requires cardiologists to create a consensus document on cardiac rehabilitation, which should address organizational issues, routing, a description of cardiac rehabilitation programs with proven effectiveness, and criteria of the rehabilitation effectiveness specific to cardiac patients. Therefore, this should be a document aimed at reducing mortality, complications, disability, and increasing the life expectancy of cardiac patients, which is the primary goal of healthcare.