Heart Manual | Background

The Heart Manual, originally developed in Scotland, is an individualized home-based self-management program for people with coronary artery disease and related conditions.

Research has shown that the Heart Manual is clinically effective, dramatically improves the psychological outcome for patients, and reduces health costs by decreasing the number of unplanned admissions for hospital care.¹ When directly compared with centre-based rehabilitation services, the Heart Manual is shown to be equally effective^{2, 3} with more patients wishing to do their rehabilitation at home rather than at the hospital.²

The Heart Manual may be used as a stand-alone home-based program, or it can be integrated into existing hospital or community-based programs (including physicians' offices), as either a primary or secondary prevention tool. The Heart Manual can be followed in the comfort and privacy of one's own home, and is facilitated either in person or over the phone by a trained health professional.

Healthy Heart Society of BC (HHS) has negotiated to make the Heart Manual available in Canada. HHS has gathered a team of Canadian cardiac nurses and health psychologists who are trained in the use of the Heart Manual, and are available to provide training to health professionals across the country wishing to facilitate the program with patients.

The Heart Manual (Coronary Artery Disease Edition) is suitable for people with angina, heart failure, angioplasty/stent, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD), heart attack, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, obesity, anxiety, depression, stress, and related conditions and risk factors. The patient materials are menu-based and can be tailored to an individual's needs.

1. Lewin, B, Robertson, I.H., Cay, E.L., Irving, J.B., Campbell, M. Effects of self-help post-myocardial-infarction rehabilitation on psychological adjustment and use of health services. Lancet. 1992; 339:1036-40.

2. Dalal, H.M., Evans, P.H., Campbell, J.L, Taylor, R.S., Watt, A., Read, K.L., Mourant, A.J., Wingham, J., Thompson, D.R., Pereira Gray, D.J. Home-based versus hospital-based rehabilitation after myocardial infarction: A randomized trial with preference arms - Cornwall Heart Attack Rehabilitation Managment Study (CHARMS). International Journal of Cardiology. 2007 Jul 10; 119(2):202-11.

3. Jolly, K., Lip, G.Y., Sandercock, J., Greenfield, S.M., Raferty, J.P., Mant, J., Taylor, R., Lane, D., Lee, K.W., Stevens, A.J. Home-based versus hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction or revascularisation: design and rationale of the Birmingham Rehabilitation Uptake Maximalisation Study (BRUM): a randomised controlled trial [SRCTN72884263]. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. 2003 Sep 10; 3:10.