Despite proven benefits, between 2017 and 2023 an average of only 24.2% of eligible patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation, according to a study published Nov. 10 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Researchers analyzed MarketScan commercial claims data of 143,870 patients from 2017 to 2022 with follow-up through 2023.
Here are five things to know from the study:
- Patients included in the study were ages 18 to 64 who had experienced at least one cardiac rehabilitation-qualifying event.
Qualifying events were acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, heart valve repair/replacement, percutaneous coronary intervention and heart/heart-lung transplant. - Of the 24.2% of patients who enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation, only an average of 9.6% completed the program.
- The average length of time to patient enrollment was 46.3 days. The average number of sessions completed was 13.9.
- While enrollment declined about 12% in 2020 due to the pandemic, the rate has since returned to prepandemic level.
- “These findings highlight an opportunity for health systems and public health initiatives to support broader cardiac rehabilitation uptake,” the study authors wrote.
Read the full study here.
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