Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring may be utilized to assess individual physiological response to activity, although a literature review revealed that the application of this information to the field of cardiac rehabilitation is limited. This exploratory study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of ambulatory heart-rate recording as an objective means of job description and prescription. Results showed that heart rate increases linearly with job activity (p <.001), and regression equations predicted mean and peak heart rate from an occupation's energy cost score. Essential components of occupational therapists' contribution to cardiac rehabilitation, work preparation and assessment require reliable and objective criteria with which to estimate a patient's occupational suitability. Heart-rate monitoring may be a simple, sensitive means of resolving this problem by accurately matching a patient's physiological capacity with the physical demands of a job.
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