Discussion of generic and disease-specific outcome tools for patients in cardiac rehabilitation.

Morbidity and mortality alone are not sufficient outcome measures in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions aimed at controlling or reducing complications of coronary heart disease. Outcomes are considered to be indicators of the quality of care. As a result, the selection of interventions, treatments, and reimbursement for services has become outcome driven. The purpose of this article is to discuss generic and disease-specific health-related quality of life tools and how to select appropriate tools for measuring long-term outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation. Choosing the appropriate tools to evaluate outcomes is critical for evaluation of patient progress and quality of life and for the success of cardiac rehabilitation programs.