In this episode:

• The wide-ranging benefits gained from cardiac rehabilitation, which provides education, personalised exercise programs and peer support to all patients following any cardiac event
• How GPs are way too busy to address all the issues after a patient’s life changing cardiac event, and how we ought to recommend a patient’s enrolment to this currently under-utilised service and resource

Guest: Ann Kirkness, Clinical Nurse Consultant

Host: Dr David Lim, GP and Medical Educator

Total time: 25 mins

Recommended resources:

• Heart Research Australia: Strongly advocate for anyone who has experienced a heart event or heart surgery to attend cardiac rehabilitation. Once it is completed though it is still incredibly important for patients and families/carers to have peer support as well as continue gaining education about heart health.
• Heart Health Club: A free and great way for patients to continue to be supported post cardiac rehabilitation.
• Webinar: Heart disease in women, it’s time to talk about it
• Men’s and women’s heart health
• Matters of the Heart – Cardiac Video Series
• Heart Health Club Facebook: A private group that offers peer connection and emotional support for patients, family or carers, by connecting them with others who have gone through a similar experience to be able to vent, share how they are feeling or offer advice and support to someone else at the start of their journey.
  They also share regular content from qualified heart health experts such as exercise physiologists and nutritionists as well as offering regular webinars giving people the opportunity to hear from and ask questions about the latest research from researchers themselves, cardiologists and other heart health experts.
• Heart Foundation: Cardiac rehabilitation service directory if patients or GPs are looking for details of their closest facility.
• You and Your Heart – Red book
• You and Your Heart Surgery – Blue book