A Comprehensive Guide to Cardiac Fitness Programs

by Naomi Gauthier MD, Tracy Curran PhD, Julie Ann O'Neill MS, Lani Silversides MST While there is a growing understanding of the value of cardiac fitness and rehabilitation for children, adolescents, and adults with congenital and pediatric-acquired heart disease, comprehensive guidelines for establishing programs tailored to these patients have been sorely lacking—until now. This groundbreaking book fills that critical gap, offering a step-by-step roadmap for developing successful cardiac fitness and rehabilitation programs for individuals with congenital heart disease (CHD). Drawing from firsthand experience at Boston Children's Hospital, the authors provide a wealth of practical insights on building safe, effective, and sustainable cardiac fitness and rehabilitation programs. From staffing and patient selection to risk stratification, fitness training principles, and measurable outcomes, this guide equips medical professionals, exercise physiologists, and administrators with the tools needed to create transformative programs for patients with CHD. Through years of research, hands-on development, and mentorship of other institutions around the world, the authors have compiled a comprehensive resource that empowers healthcare teams to improve access to life-changing cardiac fitness and rehabilitation programs. Whether you're just beginning to establish a program or looking to enhance an existing one, this book will serve as your essential guide to improving the cardiac health and quality of life for patients with CHD.