Team-based Care for Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Training in Heart Failure

The estimated cost of treating patients with HF in the United States is expected to more than double by 2030.65 This forecast of the impact of HF in the United States should serve as a call to action. Despite well-documented benefits, participation in exercise training and CR programs by patients with HF remains low. In this article, standards and guidelines for exercise and CR in HF were reviewed. Although traditional CR had core components, it lacked care management specific for HF. Chronic stable HF patients can safely exercise; however, there are many unique needs that are not currently addressed at the patient, system, and provider levels. As we face economic and political forces that are expected to require major change to the health care delivery system, it becomes even more important to capitalize on the advantages that come with team-based care. CR has always served as a model of team-based care; however, the model must now include professionals with HF expertise to guide patients in safe exercise and self-management strategies appropriate for this chronically ill population.