Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Operational Standards

These standards provide an overview of the expectations for outpatient cardiovascular rehabilitation programs in Ontario. They are part of Ontario Health’s larger objective to ensure that cardiovascular rehabilitation is readily accessible and delivered effectively by an interprofessional team with a focus on assessments leading to individualized care that improves participant outcomes.

What’s Inside:

This document contains 17 standards that are organized into 4 key sections. They provide the blueprint to enable the health care system in Ontario to work better and ensure people receive the same high-quality care, regardless of where they reside.

Section 1: Participant Safety

These standards promote safe participation in program activities, whether delivered on-site or virtually.

Section 2: Program Structure and Accountability

These standards move from who the program serves, to how it is led and staffed, to how participants enter, experience, and exit the program, ensuring a consistent, high-quality participant journey.

Section 3: Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

These standards ensure that programs integrate physical, behavioural, nutritional, psychological, and pharmacological domains into a coordinated, participant-centred care plan that promotes sustainable health improvements beyond the program’s duration.

Section 4: Measurement and Quality Improvement

This standard focuses on ensuring programs contribute to a unified, province-wide measurement strategy by collecting and submitting a standardized minimum data set.