Open AccessParticipation in pulmonary rehabilitation in routine clinical practice
Author(s) -
Bjoernshave Bodil,
Korsgaard Jens,
Jensen Chris,
Vinther Nielsen Claus
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the clinical respiratory journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.789
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1752-699X
pISSN - 1752-6981
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-699x.2011.00237.x
Subject(s) - copd , medicine , rehabilitation , pulmonary rehabilitation , physical therapy , population , quality of life (healthcare) , lung function , clinical practice , lung , nursing , environmental health
Background and Aims: Denmark offers COPD rehabilitation to enable patients to tackle the consequences of COPD, but only a minority of the patients complete these programs. To increase the completion rate, an follow‐up study was performed, to characterize COPD patients and to identify potential differences between those who complete and those who do not complete rehabilitation or do not even get a rehabilitation offer in daily clinical routine . Methods: In‐ and out COPD‐patients who participated in baseline tests were compared in terms of completion of rehabilitation, drop‐out, and no rehabilitation offer. We obtained data on basic characteristics, co‐morbidity, lung‐function (FEV1), dyspnea (MRC), six‐minute walkg‐distance (6MWD), and quality of life (SF36). Results: The source population counted 521 COPD patients of whom 256 were excluded (diagnosis withdrawn, death, moved away, long‐term oxygen, severe illness). Patients who completed rehabilitation had a 15% longer 6MWD than patients not offered rehabilitation and a 10% longer 6MWD than drop‐outs despite a significant lower subjective perception of physical function among completers than in the two other groups. Patients not offered rehabilitation had a slightly better lung function than the other two groups. This suggests that lower physical performance with the same (drop‐outs) or even higher (not offered) lung function indicates a lower chance of completion. Conclusion: COPD patients who could potentially benefit most from completing rehabilitation seem to be deselected. A mere 9% completed rehabilitation within the study period and 23% ever completed. This demonstrates that the political target that 60% of COPD patients should be offered rehabilitation is still far away. Please cite this paper as: Bjoernshave B, Korsgaard J, Jensen C and Nielsen CV. Participation in pulmonary rehabilitation in routine clinical practice. Clin Respir J 2011; 5: 235–244.