Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease (Jul 2017)

There’s no place like home: Integrating pulmonary rehabilitation into the home setting

  • Madalina Macrea,
  • Richard ZuWallack,
  • Linda Nici

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2017.859
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 87, no. 2

Abstract

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Traditional, outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation provided to stable COPD patients leads to significant improvements in dyspnea, exercise capacity and health related quality of life. Also, when started during or shortly after a hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation, pulmonary rehabilitation improves these patient-centered outcomes and arguably reduces subsequent health care utilization and mortality. Despite these benefits, the uptake of traditional pulmonary rehabilitation remains disappointingly poor. Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation, a safe and effective alternative to traditional, center-based programs, can broaden access. While proven improvements in dyspnea, exercise capacity and health status justify implementation of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation, it would be helpful to know whether it can also decrease health care utilization and be cost-effective.

Keywords