Abstract
Educational aims
-
To consider the fundamental aims of pulmonary rehabilitation.
-
To give an overview of the outcome measures used and how they can be applied
-
To review the content of a course of rehabilitation and methods by which it can be delivered.
-
To review the structure and format of rehabilitation including setting, location and duration.
Summary Pulmonary rehabilitation provides a package of education, nutritional support and physical training that promotes the skills required for patients to successfully self manage their respiratory condition. Improvements in quality of life, exercise tolerance, physical activity and function are key outcomes for the individual. There are many tools available which measure these changes and can be used to identify individual deficits and needs. Most of the literature describes the intervention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but there is emerging evidence that the benefits translate to other respiratory conditions, and improvements are achievable regardless of disease severity, smoking status, gender or age. To maintain the benefits from rehabilitation it is critical to identify barriers and address behaviour change that will provoke better lifestyle choices.
- ©ERS 2010
