Limited Availability of Cardiac Rehabilitation for Heart Failure Patients in the United Kingdom: Findings From a National Survey.
Limited availability of cardiac rehabilitation for heart failure patients in the United Kingdom: findings from a national survey.
Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2013 Mar 19;
Buttery AK, Carr-White G, Martin FC, Glaser K, Lowton K
BACKGROUND: Participation of patients with heart failure in cardiac rehabilitation in the UK is low. This study investigated the availability of cardiac rehabilitation services for patients with heart failure in the UK and the views of service coordinators on ideal service models. DESIGN: Our study was a cross-sectional national postal survey that was mailed to 342 service coordinators in the UK between April and June 2009. METHODS: We developed a 38-item questionnaire to survey all cardiac rehabilitation service coordinators on the National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation register in the UK in 2009. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 71% (244/342). Forty three per cent (105/244) of coordinators did not accept patients with heart failure to their cardiac rehabilitation services. Most coordinators who did accept patients with heart failure offered their services to patients with a variety of cardiac conditions, though referral criteria and models of care varied widely. Services inconsistently used New York Heart Association classes and left ventricular ejection fraction measures to select patients. Few offered separate dedicated heart failure programmes (14%; 33/244) but where these existed they ran for longer than programmes which included patients with heart failure alongside other cardiac patients (10.9 vs 8.5 weeks; F?=?4.04; p?=?0.019). Few offered home-based options for patients with heart failure (11%; 27/244). Coordinators accepting patients with heart failure to their cardiac rehabilitation services tended to agree that patients with heart failure should be included in services alongside other cardiac patients (?(2)(?)=?6.2; p?=?0.013). CONCLUSIONS: There is limited access for patients with heart failure to cardiac rehabilitation in the UK. Local policies on referral and selection criteria differ and reflect coordinators’ views rather than clinical guidance. HubMed – rehab
RE: An algorithm for the safety of costal diaphragm electromyography derived from ultrasound.
Muscle Nerve. 2013 Mar 20;
Saadeh PB, Saadeh PB
Upper limb international spasticity study: rationale and protocol for a large, international, multicentre prospective cohort study investigating management and goal attainment following treatment with botulinum toxin A in real-life clinical practice.
BMJ Open. 2013; 3(3):
Turner-Stokes L, Fheodoroff K, Jacinto J, Maisonobe P, Zakine B
OBJECTIVES: This article provides an overview of the Upper Limb International Spasticity (ULIS) programme, which aims to develop a common core dataset for evaluation of real-life practice and outcomes in the treatment of upper-limb spasticity with botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A). Here we present the study protocol for ULIS-II, a large, international cohort study, to describe the rationale and steps to ensure the validity of goal attainment scaling (GAS) as the primary outcome measure. METHODS AND ANALYSIS DESIGN: An international, multicentre, observational, prospective, before-and-after study, conducted at 84 centres in 22 countries across three continents. PARTICIPANTS: 468 adults presenting with poststroke upper limb spasticity in whom a decision had already been made to inject BoNT-A (5-12 consecutive participants recruited per centre). INTERVENTIONS: Physicians were free to choose targeted muscles, BoNT-A preparation, injected doses/technique and timing of follow-up in accordance with their usual practice and the goals for treatment. Primary outcome measure: GAS. Secondary outcomes: Measurements of spasticity, standardised outcome measures and global benefits. Steps to ensure validity included: (1) targeted training of all investigators in the use of GAS; (2) within-study validation of goal statements and (3) establishment of an electronic case report form with an in-built tracking facility for separation of baseline/follow-up data. ANALYSIS: Efficacy population: all participants who had (1) BoNT-A injection and (2) subsequent assessment of GAS. Primary efficacy variable: percentage (95% CI) achievement of the primary goal from GAS following one BoNT-A injection cycle. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This non-interventional study is conducted in compliance with guidelines for good pharmacoepidemiology practices. Appropriate ethical approvals were obtained according to local regulations. ULIS-II will provide important information regarding treatment and outcomes from BoNT-A in real-life upper limb spasticity management. The results will be published separately. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01020500. HubMed – rehab