The aim of this article is to review critically the current literature on a health-related quality of life (HRQL) measurement tool - the Medical Outcome Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) - and to examine the evidence for its use in cardiac rehabilitation. A literature review was carried out using the databases Cinahl, Psychinfo, EMBASE and Cochrane. Key terms used included 'cardiac rehabilitation' and 'SF-36' and the search was carried out for the period 1995-2002. The literature examined indicates that the SF-36 is a sensitive, valid tool that provides broad applicability and is appropriate for use with cardiac rehabilitation patients. However, it remains to be seen whether a disease-specific tool could be even more effective. More research needs to be performed to compare generic measures of HRQL directly with disease-specific measures in cardiac rehabilitation populations. Until then, the author advocates its routine use as a screening tool in cardiac rehabilitation to gain insight into areas of concern so that interventions can be planned to improve patient outcomes.