Response of the COPD A ssessment T est to pulmonary rehabilitation in unselected chronic respiratory disease

Background and objective The COPD A ssessment T est ( CAT ) is a recently introduced, simple‐to‐use health status instrument that takes less time to complete than better‐established health status instruments. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) patients, the CAT improves with pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR ), and changes correlate with improvements in longer‐established health status instruments such as the C hronic R espiratory Q uestionnaire ( CRQ ). Increasing numbers of non‐ COPD patients are referred for PR , but it is not known whether the CAT is responsive to PR in these populations. Methods The CAT score was prospectively measured in 365 consecutive patients (255 COPD , 110 non‐ COPD ) before and after an 8‐week PR programme. Pre to post change in CAT was calculated for COPD and non‐ COPD patients, and correlated with change in the CRQ . Results For both non‐ COPD and COPD patients, there was a similar and significant improvement in the mean (95% confidence interval) CAT score following PR (non‐ COPD : −2.1 (−1.0, −3.2) vs COPD : −3.0 (−2.2, −3.8); P  = 0.19). Change in CAT was significantly correlated with all domains of the CRQ in non‐ COPD patients (all P  < 0.01). Conclusions As in COPD patients, the CAT is immediately responsive to PR in non‐ COPD patients. Even in unselected chronic respiratory disease patients undergoing PR , the CAT is a practical alternative to longer‐established health status questionnaires.