Italian survey on cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention after cardiac revascularization: ICAROS study. A survey from the italian cardiac rehabilitation network: Rationale and design

In this paper, the Italian Association for Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation (GICR) presents the rationale and design of the "Italian survey on CArdiac RehabilitatiOn and Secondary prevention after cardiac revascularization (ICAROS)". The survey is a prospective, longitudinal, multicentric survey, with a on-line web-based data collection. Its design corresponds to the survey's goal, i.e. to describe accurately in the Italian cardiological setting, through a representative number of cardiac rehabilitation centers belonging to the GI-CR national network, the characteristics, content and effects in the medium term of cardiac rehabilitation (CRP) inpatient or outpatient programs offered to patients after coronary artery bypass (CABG) or percutaneous revascularization (PTCA). The primary aims of the study are: a) to define the principal clinical characteristics of patients who have undergone PTCA or CABG and have been admitted to a CRP program; b) to identify the components of the CRP programs in terms of diagnostic procedures and assessment tests performed, treatments administered, educational programs and physical exercise interventions employed; c) to identify and analyze drug treatments prescribed at discharge from the acute facility and those prescribed at the end of the CRP program; d) to verify the clinical outcome during the course of the CRP program and at 6 months and 1 year after the end of the post-acute CRP program, as well as patients' adherence to the prescribed pharmacological therapy and to the recommended life styles, and the achievement and maintenance of the targets in relation to the modifiable risk factors; e) to define the consumption of major healthcare resources (major cardiac events, hospital re-admission, emergency care access, specialist visits) during the first year following a CRP program. The survey population will consist of all patients consecutively discharged in the period November 3 - 30, 2008 at the end of an inpatient, day-hospital or outpatient CRP programme after CABG (isolated or associated to valve or ascending aorta surgery) or PTCA (rescue, primary or elective). There are no age, sex or other patient selection criteria. Based on ISYDE 2008 data analysis, we plan to recruit approximately 1300-1400 patients, 75% of whom with post CABG diagnosis and 25% with post PTCA diagnosis. Preliminary results of the survey are expected in the late winter 2009.