Cardiac rehabilitation has been brought sharply into focus with the recent NSF recommendations. Research needs in this area include the best methods of delivery, the problems of compliance, the relationship between home-based vs hospital-based vs community based rehabilitation, the teaching and learning strategies available to train health professionals and the physiological changes associated with different styles of intervention.

 

Although the physical base is likely to be at the Uxbridge Campus of Buckinghamshire New University, this will only be the hub of a team of researchers throughout the region concerned with cardiac rehabilitation research. Cardiac rehabilitation programmes will vary to suit the needs of the individual patient, largely determined by medical condition but also gender and ethnicity. This region provides the appropriate range of patients to test a wide range of research questions. For example there is scant information on the merits of 'motivational interviewing' as a strategy to improve compliance in important life-style changes such as increased exercise. This one area could involve research in several medical/age/ethnicity/gender groups.

 

A number of the projects listed in the sections above already contribute to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Unit.

 

Further details and order forms for this (please supply a postal address) can be obtained from avandu01@bucks.ac.uk.