Asthma

Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in a digital world

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a cornerstone of treatment for patients with chronic respiratory disease given the growing evidence of its efficacy in improving outcomes in patients with both asthma1 and COPD2. Despite this, uptake of PR has typically been low for a multitude of reasons, including the barrier of geographical distance to traditional PR delivery centres for many patients.3 While there here has been long-term interest in how telehealth might support respiratory service delivery, the COVID-19 pandemic likely acted as a catalyst for the implementation of digital health technologies.3 A well-considered approach to the implementation of PR that is centred on the needs of patients and HCPs is necessary for the maximal impact of health outcomes.4

See below for a visual summary introducing key considerations surrounding the implementation of digitally-delivered PR.


Abbreviations:

PR, pulmonary rehabilitation; COPD, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HCP, healthcare professional; QoL, Quality of Life

Approval code:   RESP-TPE-NP-00485 Date of preparation:  August 2023

References

  1. Osadnik CR, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;8:CD013485
  2. McCarthy B, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2:CD003793
  3. Pimenta S, et al. ERJ Open Res 2023;9:00212–2022
  4. Inskip JA, et al. Chronic Respiratory Disease 2018;15:71–80
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