Abstract
Abstract
Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a cost-effective, evidence-based approach for patients with cardiac conditions to improve quality of life and health outcomes. Despite the benefits, it remains a nationally underutilized service, and extensive research has been conducted to identify interventions that most effectively increase referrals and participation in CR programs. Two of the more successful interventions include strengthening provider recommendations and using a standardized referral system (Ades et al., 2022). This quality improvement project aimed to strengthen provider recommendations and increase the frequency of referrals to the existing CR program at a rural primary care clinic by 50%. To do this, a quality improvement initiative was implemented to use a standardized referral checklist form with the project population of five primary care providers. The project followed the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle to adjust the quality improvement intervention as needed. During October, November, and December of 2025, clinic providers used the standardized referral checklist at cardiac-specific and annual appointments to identify eligible patients. The project results revealed that few eligible patients presented to the clinic, and no referrals were completed. The primary reason for non-referral was based on clinical judgment, with only two cases due to missed identification. The project was limited by the rural population but highlighted the importance of provider judgment and encouragement in the patient’s care plan.
Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation, standardized referral, primary care, quality improvement, rural
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Jenny Manry
Department/Program
Nursing
Submission Type
online only poster
Date
4-10-2026
Rights
Copyright the Author(s)
Recommended Citation
Sanders, Carlie H.
(2026)
"Standardizing Cardiac Rehabilitation Referrals in a Rural Primary Care Clinic,"
SACAD: Scholarly Activities: Vol. 2026, Article 125.
Available at:
https://scholars.fhsu.edu/sacad/vol2026/iss2026/125
Included in
Family Practice Nursing Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons
