Cardiac Rehabilitation Physiotherapist Course

Lesson 1 • Programme Models and Phases

Describes inpatient, outpatient, and community-based programme structures across rehabilitation phases. Clarifies the physiotherapist's role within each phase.

Lesson 2 • Pathophysiology of Cardiac Disease

Examines mechanisms of coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Links pathological changes to functional limitations addressed in rehabilitation.

Lesson 3 • Eligibility and Referral Pathways

Identifies indications, contraindications, and referral processes for cardiac rehabilitation. Ensures appropriate patient selection from the outset of clinical practice.

Lesson 4 • Cardiovascular Anatomy and Physiology

Reviews cardiac structure, conduction, and haemodynamics essential for rehabilitation practice. Provides the anatomical baseline for all subsequent clinical reasoning.

Lesson 1 • Risk Stratification Frameworks

Applies established risk stratification tools to classify patients as low, moderate, or high risk. Risk category drives supervision level and exercise intensity decisions.

Lesson 2 • Medical History and Chart Review

Teaches systematic extraction of relevant cardiac history, medications, and comorbidities. Accurate history-taking underpins safe exercise prescription in later chapters.

Lesson 3 • Physical Examination Skills

Covers auscultation, peripheral pulse assessment, oedema grading, and vital sign interpretation. These skills directly inform exercise readiness decisions.

Lesson 4 • Electrocardiogram Interpretation

Builds ECG reading skills focused on rhythms and changes relevant to exercise safety. Prepares students to monitor patients during supervised exercise sessions.

Lesson 1 • Chronic Adaptations to Training

Describes cardiovascular, muscular, and metabolic adaptations resulting from sustained training. These adaptations define the therapeutic goals of the rehabilitation programme.

Lesson 2 • Effects of Cardiac Medications on Exercise

Analyses how beta-blockers, diuretics, antiarrhythmics, and other agents alter exercise responses. Medication awareness prevents misinterpretation of physiological data.

Lesson 3 • Acute Cardiovascular Responses to Exercise

Examines heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output changes during acute exercise bouts. Understanding these responses is prerequisite to safe exercise prescription.

Lesson 4 • Special Populations and Exercise Physiology

Addresses physiological differences in elderly, diabetic, and post-device patients during exercise. Tailoring physiological expectations improves safety for complex patients.

Lesson 1 • Resistance Training Prescription

Establishes safe resistance training parameters for cardiac patients, including load and repetition guidelines. Resistance training complements aerobic work to restore functional strength.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Exercise Prescription

Applies FITT-VP principles within cardiac rehabilitation guidelines to structure exercise programmes. These principles form the framework for all subsequent prescription decisions.

Lesson 3 • Aerobic Exercise Prescription

Guides selection of aerobic modalities, intensity targets, and session structure for cardiac patients. Aerobic training is the primary therapeutic modality in cardiac rehabilitation.

Lesson 4 • Adapting Prescriptions for Complex Patients

Modifies standard prescriptions for patients with heart failure, devices, or multiple comorbidities. Adaptation skills ensure no patient is excluded from therapeutic exercise benefits.

Lesson 5 • High-Intensity Interval Training in Cardiac Rehab

Evaluates evidence for HIIT protocols in stable cardiac patients and appropriate candidate selection. HIIT offers superior VO2 max gains when applied with proper safety screening.

Lesson 1 • Incident Reporting and Documentation

Establishes standards for documenting adverse events, near-misses, and emergency responses. Accurate reporting supports quality improvement and professional accountability.

Lesson 2 • Recognising Adverse Exercise Responses

Identifies signs and symptoms requiring exercise modification or immediate cessation. Early recognition prevents escalation to life-threatening events.

Lesson 3 • Emergency Protocols and Procedures

Prepares students to execute cardiac arrest and acute coronary syndrome emergency protocols. Rapid, coordinated response is critical to patient survival in rehabilitation settings.

Lesson 4 • Continuous Monitoring During Exercise

Establishes protocols for real-time monitoring of heart rate, blood pressure, and symptoms during sessions. Continuous monitoring is the primary mechanism for detecting early deterioration.

Lesson 1 • Weight Management and Obesity

Applies exercise and behavioural strategies to support healthy weight management in cardiac patients. Excess weight compounds cardiovascular risk and limits exercise capacity.

Lesson 2 • Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Covers glycaemic monitoring, exercise-related hypoglycaemia prevention, and metabolic syndrome management. Metabolic comorbidities significantly alter exercise safety and prescription.

Lesson 3 • Smoking Cessation Support

Provides brief intervention techniques and referral pathways for smoking cessation within rehabilitation. Smoking cessation delivers the greatest single reduction in cardiovascular mortality.

Lesson 4 • Dyslipidaemia and Dietary Counselling

Addresses lipid profile interpretation and exercise and dietary strategies to improve lipid levels. Physiotherapists reinforce dietary messages within their scope of practice.

Lesson 1 • Psychosocial Screening Tools

Introduces validated screening instruments for depression, anxiety, and quality of life in cardiac patients. Screening results guide referral decisions and individualise psychosocial support.

Lesson 2 • Referral and Collaborative Mental Health Care

Establishes criteria and processes for referring patients to psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Effective referral ensures patients receive care beyond the physiotherapist's scope.

Lesson 3 • Social Support and Return to Activities

Addresses family involvement, social reintegration, and return to work and leisure activities. Social factors are strong predictors of long-term rehabilitation success.

Lesson 4 • Motivational Interviewing Techniques

Trains students in motivational interviewing to enhance patient readiness for lifestyle change. This communication approach directly improves exercise adherence and risk factor modification.

Lesson 1 • Transition to Independent Exercise

Designs structured discharge plans that enable patients to exercise safely without direct supervision. Successful transition is the ultimate goal of the supervised rehabilitation phase.

Lesson 2 • Outcome Measurement and Programme Evaluation

Selects and applies clinical and patient-reported outcome measures to evaluate programme effectiveness. Outcome data justify programme resources and identify areas for improvement.

Lesson 3 • Quality Improvement in Cardiac Rehabilitation

Applies quality improvement methodologies to identify gaps and implement systematic programme enhancements. Continuous improvement ensures the programme remains evidence-based and patient-centred.

Lesson 4 • Behaviour Change Strategies for Maintenance

Applies self-determination theory, goal-setting, and self-monitoring to sustain long-term behaviour change. These strategies transition patients from supervised to independent exercise.