Getty Images
September 14, 2021 – MedAxiom, an American College of Cardiology (ACC) company, released a report detailing cardiac rehabilitation (CR) industry insights and best practices that includes data from more than 70 cardiovascular programs from across the U.S.
As part of its mission to transform care and improve heart health, MedAxiom is working with the cardiovascular community to understand cardiac rehab best practices. The goal is to help expand access to this proven strategy of cardiac rehab, which leads to better patient outcomes.
Key findings of the survey include:
• Most cardiac rehab programs are net revenue positive, but reimbursement is the top barrier to CR program access and growth.
• While 13% of survey participants currently offer a virtual cardiac rehab service, more than half would like to offer the option.
• Only 10% of programs offer intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) programs. Session completion rates are higher for ICR than for traditional CR programs.
• Over half of survey participants offer a Phase III cardiac rehab program. Nearly 40% offer pulmonary rehab, nearly 30% offer supervised exercise therapy
CR programs, which are typically overseen by hospitalist clinical leadership or cardiovascular service line leadership, and the the medical director role is key.
• The benefits of radical rehab are well documented and for this reason it is a Class I indication in clinical guidelines for patients with chronic stable angina, STEMI and NSTEMI, heart failure, and those undergoing PCI and CABG. However, only a fraction of eligible patients in the U.S. enroll in a program after a major cardiovascular event or diagnosis.
Staffing Cardiac Rehab Programs
MedAxiom is frequently asked about best practices for staffing CR programs. Most take a multidisciplinary approach primarily staffed by RN and exercise physiologists with support from clerical teams, dietitians, respiratory therapists and life coaches. Over half use clerical staff to assist with patient throughput and schedule management. Dietitians are used in half of the programs. More information is included in the report.
Costs for Cardiac Rehab Programs
More than half of survey participants note they offer a Phase III program. Unfortunately, Phase III can be a challenge for organizations due to limited reimbursement and self-pay requirements. The average charge for Phase III is $49.45 per month with a maximum of $96. Most programs offer two, three or unlimited sessions per week for this monthly price. More information can be found in the report.
MedAxiom, an ACC company, is a primary source of cardiovascular organizational performance solutions. It combines the knowledge and power of more than 425 cardiovascular organization members, thousands of administrators, clinicians and coders and 35 industry partners. Through the delivery of proprietary tools, smart data and proven strategies, MedAxiom helps cardiovascular organizations achieve the Quadruple Aim of better outcomes, lower costs, improved patient experience and improved clinician experience.
For more information: MedAxiom.com
Find more cardiovascular rehabilitation content
February 02, 2023 
