Results of 12 month follow up in Tulppa outpatient rehabilitation program

What is -program? a group rehabilitation program for patients with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes or mild cerebrovascular disorders. the program is also meant for those who have risk factors for vascular diseases. the groups meet mostly in the public health care centres Finnish Heart Association developed the program in 1999 – 2002 (pilot project)

Why -program is needed? the hospital stays have reduced because of the improved and more effective treatment interventions  not enough time for the patient counselling not enough resources for counselling in health care centres discharge from hospital is the critical phase in treatment problems in psychosocial recovery: for example depression is common but is recognized poorly Follow up after hospitalization and secondary prevention are not carried out the way they should be  patients’ risk factors need improvement (EUROASPIRE I, II and III)

Where –program is currently running 8 hospital districts (7 Heart Districts) Etelä-Karjala, Etelä- and Itä-Savo, Kymenlaakso, Pohjois-Karjala, Pohjois- Savo, Pirkanmaa and Päijät-Häme

Aims at community level to expand and systematize rehabilitation in the primary health care as a part of the integrated pathway to find the optimal way for each area to produce rehabilitation services: cooperation between health care centres, heart districts and private sector to get 1000 – 1200 new patients yearly into the rehabilitation groups to reduce artery disease patients’ need for health care services and that way to reduce the costs

Aims at individual level to get the rehabilitation programs as close as possible to the patient’s surroundings to reduce risk factors by lifestyle counselling and slow down the progression of the disease to promote recovery, functional status and ability to work to support psychosocial recovery and discover early enough the possible depression to provide peer support to improve the quality of life

Operational model of the program There are about ten patients in a rehabilitation group. They gather together in the health care centre once a week for ten weeks (2,5 – 3 h/session). After that there are two follow up meetings 6 months and 12 months from the beginning of the program. It is a nurse-led program and most of the groups also have a peer member, who is an experienced cardiac patient. Follow up 0, 6 ja 12 months (lipids, glucose stress test, blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, 6-minute walking test, exercise and food diaries).

Program characteristics the core component of the program is the ”key” factor. Every participant chooses one risk factor that they are willing to improve. This risk factor will be their “key” factor * combining the professional and experiential knowledge action more than lecturing (tasks, training, tests) counselors get education (2+1+1 days) and regular meetings  regular evaluation of the program patients get a Tulppa- workbook counselors get a Tulppa-folder + CD + extranet service *method is based on empowerment-concept and The Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change by DiClemente & Prochaskan

Contents artery diseases, risk factors, self-care personal risk factors  ”key factor” nutrition and physical activity smoking cessation medical treatment and coverage/reimbursement of the medications pain symptom recognition and emergency situations depression and other mood issues family, relationships and sexuality

Costs of the rehabilitation Estimated costs today: €/ patient (includes counsellor salaries, all the material and laboratory examinations)

Results of the 12 month follow up study Evaluation study 707 rehabilitation participants –57 % had coronary artery diease –7,7 % had diabetes –2,8 % had cerebrovascular disease (for example stroke or TIA) –16,5 % had several diagnoses

Results of the 12 month follow up study 4,9 % were smokers Middle age was 69 yrs. (men 67 yrs., women 69 yrs.) 2 hour oral glucose tolerance test was made for 27,6 % of the patients (W=32,1%, M= 44,8 %) –Men 5,9 (median) –Women 6,8 (median)

0 months12 monthsp-arvo 1) Weight (N= 619) 81,480,6 1).000 BMI (N= 510) 28,928,6 1).000 Waist (N=600) 98,897,6 1).000 Systolic BP (N= 597) 152,3148,5 1).000 Diastolic BP (N= 596) 84,282,9 1).007 Total cholesterol (N= 607) 4,2 1) ns LDL (N= 593) 2,3 1) ns HDL (N= 598) 1,351,36 1) ns Triglycerides (N= 584) 1,351,34 1) ns Fasting blood sugar (N= 239) 6,56,3 1) ns 6 min walking test* (N= 495) * 1).000 1) 2 related samples t-test *6 month test Risk factor changes in 12 months

Risk factor changes for those who had elevated values in the beginning 0 months12 monthsp-value 1) BMI (N= 405) 30,330,0 1).000 Waist (N=500) 101,7100,2 1).000 Systolic BP (N= 495) 159,1152,1 1).000 Diastolic BP (N= 287) 93,387,1 1).000 Total cholesterol (N= 207) 5,25,0 1).000 LDL (N= 210) 3,12,9 1).000 HDL (N= 107) 0,860,94 1).000 Triglycerides (N= 87) 2,572,07 1).000 Fasting blood sugar (N= 124) 7,56,7 1).000 1) 2 related samples t-test