Barbara Conway RGN, BSc (Hons), MSc

Cardiovascular Clinical Team Leader

NHS DarlingtonCo. Durham and DarlingtonCommunity Health Services

Title

Barriers to the uptake and engagement in cardiac rehabilitation services among people

from lower socio-economic backgrounds

Doctorate in Nursing Science

thesis submission 2010

Background to the study

• Government Led initiatives to involve service users

• The ‘unheard’ patient

• Service development and innovation

• Previous research

Sample

• 10 participants

8 following a myocardial infarction

1 following cardiac surgery (with heart failure)

1 with angina

• All the participants were from the 5 poorest electoral wards of Darlington

Method

• Semi-structured interviews

• Data collection

• Themes and sub themes

Emerging themes

• Cardiac incidents and perceptions of what has happened

• Sense of symptoms

• Meeting health needs

• Dislike of groups

• Isolation

• Quality of life

Emerging themes

• Fear and shock

• Choices and risks

• Support – informal and formal

• Fear of hospitals

• Time and financial constraints

• The bingo factor

Lessons learnt from the study

• Involvement of patients who do not access services in service development

• ‘Out of the box’ thinking by health care professionals

• Further research needed

Any questions?

Barbara.conway@nhs.net