Community-based solution suggested to manage heart-related disease
A doctor guides a man for heart-function evaluation.
Community-based management and rehabilitation systems are important to fix people's insufficient understanding of cardiovascular disease, local medical experts said during a charity program offering health education, consultations and lectures on cardiovascular health.
China is home to 330 million people with cardiovascular disease. However, public awareness for disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation is still low.
The public still have a poor understanding on the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the importance of rehabilitation. Moreover, there is a huge lack of such professionals to promote the education and rehabilitation care for people with cardiovascular disease in China, Ao Lijuan from Tongji University's School of Medicine said during a consultation event organized by Shanghai Heart Rehabilitation Center Alliance and Yongxin Rehabilitation Clinic.
"Heart-related rehabilitation is a comprehensive therapy including lifestyle management, sports, nutrition, medication and psychology," Ao said.
A man undergoes heart-funciton evaluation at Yongxin Rehabilitation Clinic.
In the West, cardiovascular patients receive rehabilitation from physiotherapists, who suggest sports therapy and methods to solve patients' function problems. Meanwhile, occupational therapists give lifestyle management, along with psychologists and nutritionists.
In Germany, a person can be refused insurance coverage in a second heart event if failing to receive rehabilitation after the first one.
Ao said both the public and medical field in the nation should raise awareness on rehabilitation for cardiovascular diseases.
According to experts, sports-based heart rehabilitation therapy is safe and necessary. But people must take part in sports under the guidance of medical professionals who can help them improve their body functions while preventing the risk of another cardiovascular event through individualized sports regimens in line with each person's condition.
"A community-based rehabilitation and patient management system is a solution. However, there are only 10 universities cultivating physiotherapists in the mainland. There are eight or nine physiotherapists for every 100,000 people in the West. There is a huge shortage of professionals," Ao said.
