Cardiac rehabilitation: gym and meetings with patients

Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is a programme that matches within TITTAN thematic Area 3: Active Citizens; through patients involvement in co-design experiences with health professionals and caregivers for a healthy active ageing.
The cardiology service of the University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela has implemented a complete CR programme, because they realised that exists this need. CR usually provide education and counselling services to help heart patients increase physical fitness, reduce cardiac symptoms, improve health and reduce the risk of future heart problems, including heart attack. One of the innovations is a gym, where is provided specific training and exercises for cardiac patients. Besides, every Wednesday patients (and their relatives) meet a group of experts related to cardiac rehabilitation. The meetings began in September 2015. They last around an hour and the hot topics are:
-healthy dietary habits
-suitable physiotherapy for cardiac rehabilitation
-educating patients and their relatives on how to manage cardiac patients
-eliminating bad habits: tobacco
-establishing good practices: physical exercise
The environment was sought to be patient-friendly, so the room chosen was a very special one: CODIGO SAUDE, an innovative meeting-room located inside the hospital, but in the library facilities, with comfortable sitting puffs, tables and blackboards, close to one of the coffee lounges of the hospital.