The role of cardiac rehabilitation in vocational reintegration Belgian working group of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation position paper

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of morbidity and sick leave in Belgium, imposing a great socio-economic burden on the contemporary healthcare system and society. Cardiac rehabilitation is an evidence-based treatment strategy that not only improves the cardiac patients’ health state but also holds promise so as to facilitate vocational reintegration in the society. This position paper was developed and endorsed by the Belgian Working Group of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. It provides an overview of the currently available Belgian data with regard to the role of cardiac rehabilitation in return to work after an initial cardiac event. It identifies the relevant barriers and facilitators of vocational integration of cardiac patients and summarises the contemporary Belgian legal and medical framework in this regard. Cardiac rehabilitation remains a primordial component of the post-acute event management of the cardiac patient, facilitating vocational reintegrating and thereby decreasing the pressure on social security. Despite the availability of a relevant legislative framework, there is a need for well-defined algorithms to assess readiness for return to work that can be used in daily clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Cardiac rehabilitation
• vocational reintegration
• legal framework
• position paper

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank AM Willems, PhD (Department of Cardiology, AZ Maria Middelares Ghent), H Van de Kerckhove, MD (Department of Cardiology, AZ Sint-Lucas Ghent), L Demulier, MD (Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Ghent), and E Viaene, MD (Department of Cardiology, AZ Yperman Ieper) for their support in the provision of the Belgian data described in this paper. The work in this paper was not supported by any funding.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.