A qualitative study on barriers to practitioner implementation of cardiac rehabilitation services in a tertiary health facility in Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

The burden of cardiovascular diseases is on the rise in resource-constrained developing countries. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a constellation of multidisciplinary interventions designed to alleviate the burden of cardiovascular disorders. Qua litative data on barriers to the utilisation of cardiac rehabilitation services among healthcare personnel in Nigeria is not available. This research was undertaken to explore the barriers to implementation of cardiac rehabilitation services by healthcare practitioners in a tertiary hospital in Kano, North-Western Nigeria. A researcher-constructed guide with open-ended questions was used to obtain information qualitatively from a purposive sample of ten health professionals via interview. Themes generated included non-functional cardiac rehabilitation team, inadequate skills, inadequate funding, lack of awareness about the role of allied health care professionals, lack of collaboration and absence of enabling environment. Key words: Barriers, cardiac rehabilitation, implementation, Kano.