Cardiac rehabilitation: an accelerated transformation during the COVID-19 pandemics

Abstract

Cardiac rehabilitation is a valuable treatment for patients with established heart disease, and in general, for people with high cardiovascular risk. The prescription of cardiac rehabilitation must be progressive and with individualized goals. Traditionally, it is performed in hospital settings after an acute cardiovascular event and it’s continued as outpatient basis in less complex institutions. A non-systematic review of literature was conducted in terms of the evolution of cardiac rehabilitation over time, it’s relevance in cardiovascular disease patient’s care, different access modalities, including the evolving tendency towards home based cardiac rehabilitation and tele-rehabilitation, as well as its accelerated transformation during the COVID-19 pandemics. It is essential to guarantee continuity of access as well as sufficient participation of patients in restructured cardiac rehabilitation programs, capable of surpassing service delivery habits and overcoming the barriers that the current situation may represent for the delivery of a high-quality care.