Program Evaluation in Cardiac Rehabilitation I

Abstract

Cardiac rehabilitation has been characterized as a technology in need of an assessment strategy. This article and forthcoming companion papers detail the framework and implications of one assessment approach. The common element of all rehabilitation is an emphasis on psychoeducational interventions. In light of this emphasis, mental health evaluation procedures are proposed for the assessment of cardiac rehabilitation services. Mental health evaluation is a tripartite process with equal emphasis on treatment outcome, program utilization, and the efficiency of services. This paper introduced a series of articles that outline the issues and procedures involved in program evaluation.