DOES CARDIAC REHABILITATON IMPROVE HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE?

Backgrounds: The integration of EQ-5D questionnaire in the standard core set of utilized outcome measures may be useful aiming at a whole evaluation of cardiac rehabilitation improvements. Objectives: To investigate the effect of a cardiac rehabilitation program on HRQoL and other health-related information. Methods: Data are collected in a Northern Italy Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute. A longitudinal survey approach will be adopted, and a sample of about 250 patients with heart failure will be recruited before 30 June 2006. The questionnaires, distributed to every patient before and after cardiac rehabilitation, include both information about socio-demographic characteristics and a medical statement with diagnosed pathology, NYHA gravity class, risk factors, ECO, and Walking Test. Patient’s anxiety and depression are tested with the Schedule A-D of CBA-2.0. The self-perceived health-status is evaluated with the EQ-5D questionnaire. Results: Analysis on disposable data (92 patients) show that the overall VAS mean value increases significatively after rehabilitation period. Health status perception after and before rehabilitation was analysed observing EQ-5D profile and VAS scores. Analysing correspondence between profiles and VAS scores, it results that an improvement of reported profile doesn’t correspond with a VAS increase of the same intensity. Conclusions: The observed rehabilitation therapy provides significant advantages in quality of life both considering VAS Score and EQ-5D problems frequency, although the variations of the two aspects are not fully correlated.