Cardiac rehabilitation based on group light exercise and discussion. An Australian hospital model.

Abstract

Patients with cardiac disease potentially have many physical, psychological, and social problems. With adequate rehabilitation, most patients can return to enjoyable, productive lives. If rehabilitation programs can be provided at relatively low cost, they can be introduced more widely. It is obviously important that low-cost programs should include most of the effective components of more sophisticated programs. The program presented here, based on group light exercise and discussion, is effective and inexpensive. Therefore, it provides a potential model for group cardiac rehabilitation in situations where cost-containment is an important consideration.