Home-based rehabilitation

Educational aims

1. To review the benefits of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation programmes.

2. To describe the structure, contents and limitations of these programmes.

Summary The evidence to date suggests that, in terms of exercise capacity and HRQoL, home-based programmes offer similar benefits to those provided by hospital-based programmes. Home-based PR programmes have also been shown to reduce the use of medication, and the number of exacerbations and hospitalisations. These programmes may even provide longer-lasting benefits. Therefore, such programmes can be prescribed with confidence. However, they must be well-structured and adhere to some guidelines.