KNGF Guideline Cardiac rehabilitation

KNGF Clinical Practice Guideline for physical therapy in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation
Supplements
Level III cardiac rehabilitation
This type of cardiac rehabilitation is designed for patients who are eligible for level I or Level II cardiac rehabilitation and also meet at
least one of the following criteria:
• Patient is as yet physically unable to start actual rehabilitation, for instance because they still need nursing care and / or their
Phase I rehabilitation or mobilization has not yet been sufficiently successful.
• Patient has other, non-cardiac-related limitations that impede a successful specialized outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.
• Patient has evident fear of exertion or of the recurrence of manifestations of their heart disease. These patients temporarily require
a safe (i.e. hospital-related) environment. They are sent home for weekends as soon as possible, which is then expanded in stages,
to prevent their anxiety being perpetuated.
• Patients who need to be temporarily taken out of their home environment as it is unfavorable for their recovery, to enable them to
regain confidence, learn to cope with physical and other limitations, give up certain unhealthy behaviors or reduce certain risk factors
such as extreme overweight. At the same time, efforts must be made to eliminate the factors in the patient’s home environment
that impede recovery.
• Patients who have unsuccessfully taken part in a specialized cardiac rehabilitation program elsewhere.
• Patients for whom specialized cardiac rehabilitation is indicated but for whom the traveling distance to outpatient treatment is
prohibitive.
Locations offering cardiac rehabilitation in the Netherlands
Cardiac rehabilitation on an outpatient basis is offered by 101 Dutch hospitals, and proves sufficient for over 98% of the heart patients. 2
In 2002, 26,000 patients took part in a cardiac rehabilitation program, compared to 17,000 in 1998, an increase of over 50%.
An increasing number of centers offer outpatients not only an exercise program, but also a relaxation program, an information program
and a psycho-education program. Research has shown that all centers were familiar with the Dutch guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation. 3
Level I and level II cardiac rehabilitation is provided on an outpatient basis at hospitals and rehabilitation centers which have a cardiac
rehabilitation department. An exception is made for those patients (level I) who are unable to take part in an exercise program at a hospital
or rehabilitation center with a cardiac rehabilitation department for logistical reasons, such as traveling distance and / or transport
problems. These patients can attend their exercise program at a primary care physical therapy practice. They can also attend their relaxation
and lifestyle programs outside the referring center, provided they are supervised by specially trained professionals. The information
program must always take place at the referring center. The exercise program for these patients must meet the following criteria:
• There is a formal written cooperation agreement between the referring hospital or cardiac rehabilitation center or the patient’s cardiac
rehabilitation cardiologist and the primary care physical therapy practice.
• The participating physical therapy practice meets the general quality and safety standards for a level I cardiac rehabilitation center.
• The physical therapy practice meets the requirements regarding the facilities for exercise or training programs available at a level I
cardiac rehabilitation center.
• During the cardiac rehabilitation, there are at least two team members present who have been trained in basic life support (BLS) and
the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), including at least one physical therapist who has completed a training program
for cardiac rehabilitation accredited by KNGF or the Vereniging voor Hart- Vaat en Longfysiotherapie (the Dutch association for cardiovascular
and pulmonary physical therapy).
• Team members have been trained before the exercise or training program is offered to patients, and then regularly (at least twice a
year) attend refresher courses or instructions by the referring hospital or rehabilitation center with a cardiac rehabilitation department.
• The physical therapist reports in writing to the referring hospital or rehabilitation center with a cardiac rehabilitation department at
the completion of the patient’s exercise or training program.
Level III cardiac rehabilitation takes place in a clinical setting. [2] Clinical cardiac rehabilitation is offered by three centers in the Netherlands:
Rijnlands Zeehospitium in Leiden (province of South-Holland), Hoensbroek rehabilitation center (province of Limburg) and Groningen
University Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center at Beatrixoord in Haren (province of Groningen). These centers have 4, 14 and 6 beds,
respectively, available for cardiac rehabilitation. The numbers of patients attending cardiac rehabilitation at these centers each year are 30,
100–150 and 75, respectively..
Quality and safety of cardiac rehabilitation
All safety and quality criteria for cardiac rehabilitation established by the NVVC have been included in the NVVC’s 2011 practice guideline on
cardiac rehabilitation (Praktijkrichtlijn Hartrevalidatie 2011). 1
The following criteria and requirements are relevant for physical therapists engaged in level I cardiac rehabilitation:
• The patient’s cardiologist and the other members of the cardiac rehabilitation team have completed the cardiac rehabilitation training
program and refresher courses recommended by their respective professional associations. The cardiologist must make sure that
all team members involved satisfy this requirement. (This also applies if the exercise program takes place at a primary care physical
therapy practice.)
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