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Background.

Much has been achieved in implementing structured outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in Victoria, Australia, but little is known about the percentage of eligible patients who participate. This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of establishing a database of CR participants and comparing it to the Victorian Inpatient Minimum Database (VIMD), a routinely collected hospital morbidity data set documenting all admissions to Victorian public and private hospitals. This would enable program participants and nonparticipants to be identified and program participation rates to be calculated.

Methods.

Data on program participants were collected from a sample of eight CR programs. Records from the VIMD were extracted for the concurrent time period for patients discharged home after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and percutaneous …