LSI is proud to have the 30-year expertise of Dr. Carl King, former AACVPR president, as part of our consultative team. To help keep you informed and inspired in your practice, we’ve collected three key takeaways from Dr. King’s recent MSCVPR presentation on the Science of Physiological Data Acquisition and Utilization.
The benefits of cardiac and pulmonary rehab position it as one of the best buys in medicine. Tracking and using data within the patient-care process is an important way to demonstrate and ensure safe, effective and efficient care (SEE).
1. SAFETY
When weighed against the health benefits, the overall absolute risk of cardiovascular complications during exercise is low. To maintain minimal risk, all patients entering a cardiac rehabilitation program should be evaluated for exercise tolerance. Understanding a patient’s functional ability allows providers to create an individualized treatment plan.
Measure the following for each patient:
- Heart Rate (rest and peak, average for bout and session, TNT)
- Workload (METs)
- Blood Pressure (pre and post)
- RPE
- Signs and Symptoms
- Fatigue (bout, session, 1 hour post)
2. EFFECTIVENESS
Studies show the more sessions a cardiac rehab patient attends, the lower the mortality and myocardial infarction risk. Using functional exercise testing (FXT) during treatment helps measure functional capacity to help measure progress. Functional capacity should be measured at the beginning and end of rehab or as other factors (such as medication) change.
Consider using the following tests:
- 6-minute walk
- 12-minute walk
- King 6-minute cycle
- Ramped Bruce Treadmill Protocol
3. EFFICIENCY
It takes time to influence permanent behavioral change and time with patients is often limited. Creating an exercise prescription (ExRx) that is individualized to each patient is an ideal place to start. When considering efficiency remember, improved functional capacity means improved functional independence.
In cardiac rehab, numbers are personal. In the hands of compassionate providers, implementing a data-backed patient-care process helps patients experience an enhanced quality of life.
For more in-depth information or specific questions for Dr. King on his presentation please email mstanczyk@lsi-medical.com.