Table 5.

National CR program perceptions of factors affecting CR wait times (n = 92)

Factor	Mean	Standard deviation
Patient travel constraints, scheduling unavailability	3.7	1.2
Capacity issues: staffing	3.6	1.2
Physician initiates patient referral at outpatient visit after hospital discharge	3.6	1.2
Lack of funding	3.6	1.4
Scheduling limitations	3.5	1.3
Lack of consistent implementation of discharge order sets including CR referral	3.5	1.4
Capacity issues: operating hours	3.2	1.4
Lack of availability of alternative CR program models	3.2	1.2
Capacity issues: facility space	3.2	1.5
Geographic siting of programs	3.1	1.4
Waiting for referral information	3.0	1.3
Waiting for exercise test results	3.0	1.5
Capacity issues: lack of equipment	2.6	1.3
Patient confidentiality legislation	1.8	1.0

Note: scores range from 1 (“does not affect CR wait time delays”) to 5 (“major factor affecting wait time delays”).

CR = cardiac rehabilitation.