Outpatient Program
Program Options / Program Components
After discharge from the hospital, patients are referred to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Outpatient Program. This program helps participants gain the skills needed to achieve and maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle and to get back to everyday life after a cardiac event.
Participants are referred to a variety of health care professionals to learn about proper nutrition, stress management, smoking cessation, and about dealing with substance abuse, return-to-work, and medication issues, as well as other health concerns as needed.
Participants must have diagnosed heart disease or valve disease, and they must be referred by a physician.
Referring Patients
To refer a patient to Cardiac Rehabilitation Outpatient Program, please complete the referral form (pdf) and fax it as specified.
Program Options
There are four program options available, all at no cost to participants:
On-Site Supervised Program
- Duration: two to three months
- Coronary risk factor assessment
- Supervised twice weekly onsite exercise sessions (one hour/session)
- Medical assessment by cardiac rehabilitation doctors
- Nutrition workshops
- Referral services, such as: `
- Nutrition counselling
- Stress management
- Smoking cessation
- Vocational counselling
- Psychological counselling
- Social work counselling
- Follow-up evaluation scheduled after three and 12 months
Case-Managed Home Program
- Duration: three months
- Flexibility for those unable to participate in the hospital-based program
- Tailored to the individual patient’s heart-health goals
- Coronary risk factor assessment
- Total of 14 appointments
- Three appointments at the Heart Institute, remainder by weekly phone contact
- Home exercise program, no supervised exercise sessions
- Follow-up evaluation scheduled after three and 12 months
Brief Program
- Coronary risk factor assessment
- Nutrition education sessions
- Exercise evaluation and tailored home exercise program; no supervised exercise sessions
- Three appointments at Heart Institute and one by phone
- Follow-up evaluation scheduled after three and 12 months
FrancoForme
- French language case-managed home program, open to Franco-Ontarians only
- For individuals at risk for heart disease and for those diagnosed with heart disease
- Duration: three months
- Flexibility for those unable to participate in hospital-based program
- Tailored to the individual patient’s heart-health goals
- Coronary risk factor assessment
- Total of 15 appointments, approximately 30 minutes each
- Three appointments at the Heart Institute, remainder by phone
- Home exercise program, no supervised exercise sessions
- Follow-up evaluation scheduled after three and 12 months
- For more information, please visit: http://www.francoforme.ca/.
The Cardiac Rehabilitation Outpatient Program offers patients access to these key components (if applicable):
Medical Evaluation
Patients may be seen by one of our physicians to:
- Assess their current medical health
- Determine risk factors
- Set safety guidelines specific to the patient
Help Quitting Smoking
Smokers work with their contact person/case manager to support quitting smoking and can be referred to the UOHI Quit Smoking Program if they express a desire and are motivated to quit.
Exercise Testing and TrainingParticipants undergo an exercise test in order to create an "exercise prescription," which describes the frequency, intensity, duration, type, and progression of their training.
Training consists of hour-long classes led by a physiotherapist and a nurse. Each class is structured with a 10-minute individual or group warm-up period, a 35-minute aerobic conditioning period, and a 10- to 15-minute group cool-down. Telemetry monitoring during exercise is conducted for participants with certain conditions.
Aerobic conditioning exercise includes walking and/or jogging on a 72-meter indoor track, bicycle ergometers, treadmills, and rowing machines. Muscle-toning exercises are performed in cool-down. Those who wish to further improve their muscle strength can attend a Strength Training Workshop.
Vocational Counselling
During the initial meeting, a vocational counsellor reviews a participant's current situation, work history, and work goals and assesses their work capacity. If the participant needs to build physical strength and/or self-confidence, then "work hardening" is implemented in partnership with the physiotherapy staff and the employer.A gradual return to work in terms of hours and/or duties may be recommended. The vocational counsellor generally monitors the participant's progress back at work, providing supportive counselling as part of job stabilization.
Nutrition Counselling
Five different Heart Delicious workshops for participants and their families offer information on making healthy food choices, reading food labels, and managing weight. Workshops include:
- ABCs to Heart-Healthy Eating
- Heart-Healthy Shopping
- Nutrition Tips for Weight Management
- Hot Topics in Heart-Health Nutrition
- Eating Well with Diabetes
If you have special nutrition needs or questions after attending the workshops, you can meet with a dietitian one on one.
Psychosocial Assessment and Counselling and Psychiatry Services
Psychosocial assessment, supportive intervention services, and medication consultation are available upon referral. When people experience health problems, their lives often become disrupted and they may feel worried, stressed out, or powerless. Sometimes they need help adjusting to difficult life changes.
The objective of counselling is to enhance the coping of those individuals who have experienced or are impacted by cardiac health problems, or perhaps are at risk of developing cardiac health problems.Stress Management
The Stress Management course offers a variety of techniques to better manage stress. Each of the five 90-minute sessions covers a distinct topic:
- Introductions: Breathing and Muscle Relaxation Techniques
- Improving Assertive Communication
- Uncovering Negative Automatic Thoughts
- Changing Negative Automatic Thoughts/Thinking Errors
- Humour as a Coping Strategy/Wrap Up
The course is offered at the following times:
Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Wednesdays 2:30 – 4:00 p.m.
Thursdays 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.Please note that the time slots cannot be guaranteed as they are based on demand. There is a $30 charge for course materials, which includes a CD, booklets, and handouts.
Only Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) participants may enrol directly in the Stress Management course. Family members are encouraged to contact the Prevention and Wellness Centre to request a cardiac risk assessment, which includes exploring stress. Family members may then be referred to a stress management group at a different time from the CR participant’s time.
