[Determinants for the Access to Follow-Up Rehabilitation Concerning Cardiological Patients after Surgery]

The aim was to analyze individual and environmental factors influencing the access to follow-up rehabilitation of cardiological patients after surgery.

An exploratory, cross-sectional study without intervention was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used for data collection in two acute care clinics at cardiological and cardiosurgical wards. Multivariate logistic regression was used to measure the influence of different factors on the access to follow-up rehabilitation. In 61.0% of the patients a follow-up rehabilitation was granted.

210 patients were included. The average age was 52.1 years, 81.0% were male. There were significant differences between the groups with and without follow-up rehabilitation concerning age (p=0.018), sex (p=0.007), the PAREMO-scales "Änderungsbereitschaft" (p=0.011) and "Skepsis" (p=0.005) and the aim of rehabilitation to learn skills in dealing with the disease (p=0.043). The Barthel-Index was not significant different between the two groups. The chance to get a follow-up rehabilitation was significantly increased by indications corresponding to the "AHB-Indikationskatalog" (p=0.001; OR=5.76) and after request of the patients to get a follow-up rehabilitation (p<0.001; OR=17.91).

The access to follow-up rehabilitation was predominantly indication-specific and depended on patients' request of cardiological patients after surgery. A follow-up rehabilitation requires an adequate rehabilitation capacity (Barthel-Index). However the effect of the Barthel-Index on the access to follow-up rehabilitation was not significant.

It is still in question, to what extent the personal patient's wish can be linked to parameters of rehabilitation capacity. Furthermore it is necessary to develop concepts which increase the influence of rehabilitation capacity on the decision of a follow-up rehabilitation.