Modelling Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs in Saudi Arabia

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in Saudi Arabia. This study explored cardiac rehabilitation programs identifying gaps in practice, barriers and enablers to attending programs by exploring patient experiences and views of healthcare providers working in public hospitals. The findings reveal staff were not aware of programs in their departments, lacked training and there were language and communication barriers. Gender, cultural and background differences were factors in discontinuity of care, compounded by distance and transport problems for patients. A cardiac rehabilitation program was modeled for the Saudi context recommending multifaceted and multidisciplinary approaches.