Experiences of Stroke and Cardiac Rehabilitation in Scotland
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding patient experiences of stroke and cardiac rehabilitation delivery in Scotland
IRAS ID
359829
Contact name
Lis Neubeck
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Edinburgh Napier University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
3572235, Chest Heart and Stroke Project
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarctions and strokes pose major global health challenges, requiring effective prevention and rehabilitation for optimal outcomes. In Scotland, about 730,000 people live with heart and circulatory diseases, projected to rise by 34% between 2019 and 2043. Annual CVD care costs are estimated at 950 million. Cardiac rehabilitation is a globally recommended intervention to reduce mortality, morbidity, and unplanned hospital admissions, while stroke rehabilitation enhances recovery, function, and quality of life.
Despite its Class I recommendation, rehabilitation remains underused due to low participation rates, inconsistent service delivery and gaps in patient engagement data. There is increasing recognition of the need to evaluate and improve rehabilitation services.
A current study by colleagues conducted separately to this study, links Scottish hospital, prescribing, and primary care datasets to explore rehabilitation delivery and secondary prevention among cardiac and stroke survivors. It assesses the proportion achieving optimal secondary prevention and tracks readmissions and cardiovascular deaths. To enrich this data, qualitative insights will explore patient experiences with rehabilitation one year post-discharge, including both attenders and non-attenders. Therefore the aim of this study is to explore factors influencing participation in cardiac and stroke rehabilitation services among patients in Scotland, including their experiences and perspectives on rehabilitation following a stroke or acute coronary syndrome, one year after hospital discharge.
REC name
London - West London & GTAC Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/1015
Date of REC Opinion
27 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion