Rehabilitation Resources

Here, Poppy Brooks, chair of the British Society for Heart Failure’s Nurse Forum, shares some insights from a joint webinar held by the British Society for Heart Failure and the British Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR).
This webinar, held during National Cardiac Rehabilitation Awareness Week 2022, sought to showcase new thinking on cardiac rehabilitation for those with heart failure. The recording is available to watch at: www.bsh.org.uk/webinar-fit-for-the-future/.

None of the 13 million of us in the UK who watched the final of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ 2020 will need convincing of the joy of dance and dancing with others — nor of the endurance, strength, flexibility and balance required. But, have you ever considered how dance can be used therapeutically? This article presents evidence and practice about the use of dance in chronic disease management, in particular, its role in alleviating breathlessness. One of the main causes of breathlessness is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective treatment for COPD, including tailored exercise and education, but it is not available or suitable for everyone. There is potential for dance to be offered as a therapeutic intervention for people with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases in several ways: by incorporation into existing programmes to increase the variety of exercise, post-PR as maintenance therapy, as an alternative for those who choose not to attend PR, and for those who are not offered PR.

The annual review of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a routine element of practice care. With an average practice having a coronary heart disease (CHD) register of around 5% of the practice population (Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2015), along with those living with other conditions that make up the spectrum of CVD (Figure 1), this accounts for a significant requirement of clinical time. The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) lists a number of clinical indicators to be attained in this population and in most practices the nursing team delivers much of the routine care. This article looks at how to make the most of CVD reviews to ensure that the clinical benefits are optimal and patients receive a quality service.