Speakers
Prof. Sherry GRACE
Professor, Faculty of Health, York University, Canada
Immediate Past Chair, International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR)
Sherry Grace, PhD, CRFC is Full Professor at York University. She is also appointed at the University Health Network, University of Toronto, as Sr. Scientist with KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Program, and is Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation Research with their Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.
Prof. Grace’s research centers on optimizing post-acute cardiovascular care globally. She has published ~260 papers which have been cited ~13,000 times (h-index=57), and authored clinical practice guidelines internationally. She has served the World Health Organization and she was instrumental in the development of the International Council on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Abstract
The International Council on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation’s (ICCPR) Global Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Survey on COVID Impacts
In this presentation, I will describe the impacts of COVID-19 on CR delivery around the globe, including effects on providers and patients, and policies regarding safe service resumption. Through a cross-sectional study, a piloted survey was administered to CR programs globally via REDCap from April-June/2020. The 50 members of the ICCPR and personal contacts facilitated program identification. Overall, 1062 (18.3% program response rate) responses were received from 70/111 (63.1% country response rate) countries in the world with existent CR programs. Of these, 367 (49.1%) programs reported they had stopped CR delivery, and 203 (27.1%) stopped temporarily (mean=8.3±2.8weeks); Alternative models were delivered in 322 (39.7%) programs, primarily through low-tech modes (n=226,19.3%). 353 (30.2%) respondents were re-deployed, and 276 (37.3%) felt the need to work due to fear of losing their job, despite the perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 (mean=30.0%±27.4/100). 266 (22.5%) reported anxiety, 241 (20.4%) were concerned about exposing their family, 113 (9.7%) reported increased workload to transition to remote delivery, and 105 (9.0%) were juggling caregiving responsibilities during business hours. Patients were often contacting staff regarding grocery shopping for heart-healthy foods (n=333,28.4%), how to use technology to interact with the program (n=329,27.9%), having to stop their exercise because they have no place to exercise (n=303,25.7%), and their risk of death from COVID-19 due to pre-existing cardiovascular disease (n=249, 21.2%). Respondents perceived staff (n=488, 41.3%) and patient (n=453, 38.6%) personal protective equipment, as well as COVID-19 screening (n=414, 35.2%) and testing (n=411, 35.0%) as paramount to in-person service resumption. In conclusion, approximately 4400 programs ceased service delivery. Those that remain open are implementing new technologies to ensure their patients receive CR safely, despite the challenges.