Exploring the barriers and enablers to attendance at rural cardiac rehabilitation programs

<b>Objective</b>: The objectives of this study were to: (i) identify local barriers and enablers to the uptake of hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs, and (ii) identify preferred alternatives for the delivery of CR.<br /><br /><b>Design</b>: A questionnaire administered by local CR coordinators and focus groups facilitated by the research team.<br /><br /><b>Setting</b>: Six regional hospitals in south-west Victoria offering hospital-based CR programs.<br /><br /><b>Participants</b>: Patients and their carers referred to and eligible for local CR programs; health professionals working within local CR programs.<br /><br /><b>Main outcomes measures</b>: CR attendees and decliners demographics, patient and health professional perceived factors which contribute to enabling hospital-based CR attendance, patient and health professional perceived barriers to CR attendance, and receptiveness and preferences for alternative modes of CR delivery.<br /><br /><b>Results</b>: This study identified distance to travel to hospital-based CR programs the only statistically significant factor in determining uptake of CR. Easy access to transport (63%) and to a lesser extent family support (49%) and work flexibility (43%) were the primary enablers to attendance. Of the 97 study participants, 38% were receptive to alternative CR methods such as programs in outlying communities, evening facility-based programs, home and GP based programs, telephone support and a patient manual/workbook.<br /><br /><b>Conclusions</b>: The results of this study provide valuable information for designing strategies to increase utilisation and improve patient acceptability of existing hospital-based CR programs. It provides a basis for pilot testing alternative modes of CR program delivery for cardiac patients in rural areas unable to access hospital-based CR. <br />