Rates of enrollment for men and women referred to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Objective: Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) services are underutilized. Fewer women participate in CR than men. It is unclear whether women referred to CR enroll at the same rate as men. The purpose of this study was to compare enrollment rates of men and women who were referred to CR.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review was performed for selected variables for all adult patients who resided in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were hospitalized from January 2005 through July 2007 and were referred to a CR program. Enrollment in CR was defined as attendance at 1 or more CR sessions.

Results: A total of 450 patients referred to CR were identified. Of them, 286 patients (64%) enrolled in CR. Rates of enrollment for men and women were similar (65% vs 62%, P = .54). Patients of either gender who did not enroll were older, less educated, less often married, more likely to smoke, more likely to be diabetic, and less likely to have had cardiac surgery. Enrollment rates of women with or without comorbidities were similar (62% vs 61%, P = .87), while enrollment rate of men with comorbidities was lower than for men without comorbidities (52% vs 75%, P < .01).

Conclusion: In our CR program, enrollment rates for men and women, once referred, are similar. Enrollment rates are lower for older patients of both genders and for men with comorbidities. Lower utilization of CR by women than by men does not appear to be because of a gender difference in enrollment rates after a referral is made.