Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Journal of Cardiology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2026.134564 Dr. Susie Cartledge et al.
Points
- Monash University researchers linked regional health datasets to analyze the long-term clinical outcomes and attendance patterns of 7,172 cardiovascular patients across 13 public hospitals.
- Longitudinal monitoring over a 12-month post-discharge window revealed that less than 20% of eligible percutaneous coronary intervention patients actually attended their outpatient rehabilitation sessions.
- Data analysis confirmed that mortality was four times higher among nonattenders who skipped the program compared to recovering individuals who completed the full six-week regimen.
- Patients who participated in the structured outpatient exercise and education modules experienced significantly lower all-cause mortality rates and fewer unplanned hospital readmissions.
- Investigators discovered that fragmented transitions between inpatient and outpatient settings alongside poor communication regarding program importance represent primary drivers of poor clinical participation.
Summary
Initiated to investigate the long-term survival trajectories of cardiovascular patients, this study examined the clinical impact and current uptake of secondary prevention cardiac rehabilitation programs. While post-discharge programs combining tailored physical exercise, self-management education, and psychosocial support are heavily linked to a return to optimal cardiac health, a lack of cohesive tracking registries has left patient transitions unexamined for over two decades. The research sought to determine if higher attendance rates during outpatient recovery could translate into reduced all-cause mortality and fewer unplanned readmissions following a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or an acute coronary event.
Utilizing a comprehensive population data pipeline, investigators successfully linked the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry (VCOR) to the Victorian Integrated Non-Admitted Health (VINAH) datasets. The study tracked a multi-center cohort of 7,172 patients across 13 public hospitals between 2019 and 2021, stratifying participants into nonattenders, low attendance (1 to 5 sessions), and high attendance (6 or more sessions) subgroups. Longitudinal monitoring over a 12-month follow-up window revealed that despite a high baseline clinician referral rate of 85% for acute PCI patients, actual secondary participation remained profoundly suboptimal, with only 19.3% of the total eligible patient cohort attending the outpatient rehabilitation sessions.
Statistical evaluations confirmed a robust dose-response relationship linking program compliance to a significant survival benefit at one year. Mortality was four times higher among nonattenders who did not complete any rehabilitation sessions compared to the higher-risk individuals who successfully completed the full six-week recovery regimen. Furthermore, attendees who were typically younger than 64 years old, residing with family, or managing complex coronary blockages experienced fewer unplanned all-cause hospital readmissions. The findings demonstrate that structured secondary prevention significantly mitigates repeat ischemic events, suggesting that bridging fragmented inpatient-to-outpatient care pathways remains critical to optimize long-term survivorship.
Link to the article: https://www.internationaljournalofcardiology.com/article/S0167-5273(26)00413-4/fulltext
References
Cartledge, S., Lucas, M., Dinh, D., Brennan, A., Lefkovits, J., Gauci, S., Thomas, E. E., Miranda, P. C., Livori, A., Gallagher, R., O’Neil, A., Redfern, J., Reid, C. M., Driscoll, A., & Stub, D. (2026). Mapping patient outcomes associated with cardiac rehabilitation: A linked data analysis of 7,172 patients from the Victorian Cardiac Outcomes Registry (2019–2021). International Journal of Cardiology, 459, 134564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2026.134564
