Cardiac rehabilitation in the Navy

Cardiac rehabilitation has been effective in the management and recovery of the post-myocardial infarction population for almost 40 years. During that time, the fundamental components of rehabilitation have changed to reflect a growing complexity and number of cardiac patients. Great Lakes Naval Hospital has instituted a structured outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. It is based on the needs of a large cardiac population with modifiable risk factors identified through quality improvement studies. Future implications and research in the area of cardiac rehabilitation include measurements of self-efficacy, long-term risk factor modification, cost effectiveness, gender-related differences, or morbidity and mortality.