Are you looking for information about the latest CR guidelines and quality indicators supported by ACRA?
A Clinical Guide for Assessment and Prescription of Exercise and Physical Activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation. A CSANZ Position Statement (2023)
In 2023 the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) convened an inter-agency, multidisciplinary, nationally representative expert panel of Australia's leading exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation clinicians, researchers and health advocates who reviewed the research evidence and completed a paper on the prescription of exercise and physical activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation. ACRA, Exercise and Sports Science Australia, the Heart Foundation and the Australian Physiotherapy Association all endorsed this guidance.
Verdicchio C, Freene N, Hollings M, Maiorana A, Briffa T, Gallagher R, Hendriks JM, Abell B, Brown A, Colquhoun D, Howden E. A Clinical Guide for Assessment and Prescription of Exercise and Physical Activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation. A CSANZ Position Statement. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 2023 Jul 27.
ACRA Core Components Paper (2014)
In 2014 the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (ACRA) convened an inter-agency, multidisciplinary, nationally representative expert panel of Australia's leading cardiac rehabilitation clinicians, researchers and health advocates who reviewed the research evidence and completed a paper on the Core Components of Cardiovascular Disease Secondary Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation.
Woodruffe S, Neubeck L, Clark RA, Gray K, Ferry C, Finan J, Sanderson S, Briffa TG. Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (ACRA) core components of cardiovascular disease secondary prevention and cardiac rehabilitation 2014. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 2015 May 1;24(5):430-41.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Quality in Australia: Proposed National Indicators for Field-Testing
Quality indicators are explicitly defined statements that aim to measure adherence to aspects of evidence-based care that are deemed necessary for reaching optimal patient outcomes and provide a basis for quality improvement projects. The purpose of the quality indicators is to set recommendations for what should be collected and reported on at a minimum so that CR programs can collect uniform data. This document provides the proposed 10 quality indicators developed by the Taskforce.
Gallagher R, Thomas E, Astley C, Foreman R, Ferry C, Zecchin R, Woodruffe S. Cardiac Rehabilitation Quality in Australia: Proposed National Indicators for Field-Testing. Heart, Lung and Circulation. 2020 Apr 30.
Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea in cardiac rehabilitation: A position statement from the Australian Centre for Heart Health and the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial upper-airway obstruction during sleep due to the collapse of upper-pharyngeal soft tissue during sleep, resulting in intermittent oxygen deprivation, usually unrecognized by the patient. This position paper presents the views of an expert panel represented by members of the Australian Centre for Heart Health and the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association.
Le Grande MR, Neubeck L, Murphy BM, McIvor D, Lynch D, McLean H, Jackson AC. Screening for obstructive sleep apnoea in cardiac rehabilitation: A position statement from the Australian Centre for Heart Health and the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2016 Sep;23(14):1466-75..
Standardised program content for Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation
Standardised program content for Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation (developed by National Heart Foundation of Australia)
The Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association (ACRA) is pleased to support the release of ‘A Pathway to Cardiac Recovery -Standardised program
content for Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation’. The Pathway builds on the foundation of the Core Components of Cardiovascular Disease Secondary Prevention and Cardiac Rehabilitation publication developed by ACRA members in 2014 (Woodruffe et al, 2014). The Core Components provided a standard and the Pathway provides the detailed content needed to be delivered.
Ten modules are provided, which include specific evidence-based content. If delivered in its entirety, these modules would meet international standards and ensure the highest quality cardiac rehabilitation program. Many cardiac rehabilitation programs would be delivering this content, and the Pathway would provide confirmation of the quality of their service. However, many new and developing services would benefit greatly from having access to standard content, as it is something they can aspire to over time. The Pathway aligns directly with ACRA’s mission to support the development of current and future content standards and future cardiac rehabilitation staff,
Cartledge S, Thomas E, Hollier K, Maddison R. Development of standardised programme content for phase II cardiac rehabilitation programmes in Australia using a modified Delphi process. BMJ open. 2019 Dec 1;9(12).
Practice guidelines from external organisations
Australian Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance (ACDPA)
Ambrosetti M, Abreu A, Corrà U, Davos CH, Hansen D, Frederix I, Iliou MC, Pedretti RF, Schmid JP, Vigorito C, Voller H. Secondary prevention through comprehensive cardiovascular rehabilitation: From knowledge to implementation. 2020 update. A position paper from the Secondary Prevention and Rehabilitation Section of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2020 Mar 30:2047487320913379.
Buckley JP, Riddell M, Mellor D, Bracken RM, Ross MK, LaGerche A, Poirier P. Acute glycaemic management before, during and after exercise for cardiac rehabilitation participants with diabetes mellitus: a joint statement of the British and Canadian Associations of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, the International Council for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. British journal of sports medicine. 2020 Dec 23.
Brieger D, Amerena J, Attia JR, Bajorek B, Chan KH, Connell C, Freedman B, Ferguson C, Hall T, Haqqani HM, Hendriks J. National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018. Medical Journal of Australia. 2018 Oct;209(8):356-62..
Brieger D, Amerena J, Attia JR, Bajorek B, Chan KH, Connell C, Freedman B, Ferguson C, Hall T, Haqqani HM, Hendriks J. National Heart Foundation of Australia and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand: Australian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation 2018. Medical Journal of Australia. 2018 Oct;209(8):356-62..
National Heart Foundation of Australia and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New
Zealand. Reducing risk in heart disease: an expert guide to clinical practice for secondary prevention of
coronary heart disease. Melbourne: National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2012.
The information presented in the listed guidelines is for the purpose of making health information available to the Australian cardiac rehabilitation clinical community. They are not a substitute for independent professional advice.
ACRA does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information in guidelines developed by external bodies.