Psychosocial services provided by licensed cardiac rehabilitation programs

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Mental Health Services

Background:

• Professional health organizations advocate for comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs.
• Programs should optimize patients' physical, mental, and social well-being.
• This study focuses on mental health assessments and psychosocial services in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe mental health assessments in cardiac rehabilitation programs.
• To outline the psychosocial services offered by these programs.
• To identify barriers to psychosocial service provision from leadership's perspective.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of North Carolina outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs was conducted.
• Descriptive statistics summarized survey responses.
• Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data on barriers to psychosocial services.

Main Results:

• 70% of surveyed programs offered psychosocial services, but most did not bill for them.
• 94% of programs assessed mental health at enrollment, with 92% repeating it at discharge.
• Lack of internal resources (92%) and patient beliefs (45%) were primary barriers to expanding services.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac rehabilitation programs frequently assess mental health but struggle with resources for psychosocial services.
• Interventions to enhance patient education and reduce mental health stigma are crucial.
• Addressing resource limitations is vital for comprehensive patient care in cardiac rehabilitation.