Towards Comprehensive Cardiovascular Care: The Part of Community-Based Rehabilitation in Controlling Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Indonesia

Abstract

Aim: Alternative models of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) have emerged globally to address the underutilization of hospital-based programs. Community-based cardiac rehabilitation emphasizes patient assessment, risk stratification, education, counseling, and program evaluation. This review aims to understand the forms of community-based rehabilitation that can be implemented to enhance cardiovascular health and specifically explores their roles and applications in Indonesia.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar using the keywords “cardiac rehabilitation”, “community-based cardiac rehabilitation”, and “cardiac rehabilitation in Indonesia”. We also identified relevant guidelines and textbook resources. The search was limited to articles written in English and Indonesian, and published over the past twenty years.

Results: Out of 644 retrieved articles, only 50 met the inclusion criteria and were used for the review.

Conclusion: Community-based CR is effective for patients with heart failure and acute coronary syndrome post-intervention. In Indonesia, initiatives like the chronic disease management program or program pengendalian penyakit kronis (Prolanis) and the integrated non-communicable disease service post or pos pembinaan terpadu penyakit tidak menular (Posbindu PTM) target hypertension and diabetes, key risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. However, significant disparities in awareness and treatment persist, highlighting the need for robust strategies to enhance prevention and control within community-based CR frameworks. This narrative review underscores the potential of community-based approaches to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in Indonesia and beyond.