Barriers to attending cardiac rehabilitation.

Audits of cardiac rehabilitation in the U.K. have consistently found that the goals set out in the National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease are not being met. This review aimed to identify themes that influence whether patients attend cardiac rehabilitation services. This article is the first in a two-part series. Part 2 reports the results of a research project looking at patients' views of cardiac rehabilitation on the island of Guernsey, and is published on page 20.