What is the Program About?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is “a multidisciplinary program of care for patients with chronic respiratory impairment that is individually tailored and designed to optimize physical and social performance and autonomy.
The structure and delivery of programs are diverse and dependent upon available resources, but the aims remain the same.
this toolkit provides health professionals with practical, evidence-based guidance for establishing a pulmonary rehabilitation program. The primary components of a comprehensive program are:
1. Patient assessment.
2. Patient exercise training.
3. Patient education.
4. Program evaluation.
5. Maintenance.
Aims
The primary aims of pulmonary rehabilitation are:
1. To reduce disability and handicap of persons with chronic lung diseases.
2. To restore patients to the highest possible level of independent functioning.
The goals of pulmonary rehabilitation are to:
· Increase exercise tolerance in order to reduce impairment.
· Improve adherence to recommended treatments.
· Reduce frequency and severity of symptoms.
· Improve mood and motivation.
· Reduce dependency.
· Enhance participation in therapy decisions by building self-management capacity.
· Increase participation in everyday activities.
· Improve quality of life.
· Reduce health care burden for patients, families and communities.
· Improve survival.
Who is the Program For?
In general, pulmonary rehabilitation programs are suitable for people who have underlying chronic lung disease and who are limited by dyspnoea. Partners or caregivers should also be encouraged to attend.
Specific eligibility criteria are outlined in the table below:
Eligibility Criteria
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Include patients who:
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· Have stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other respiratory conditions without acute illness.
· Are willing to participate (even if they are current smokers).
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Exclude patients who:
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· Have severe cognitive impairment.
· Have severe psychotic disturbance.
· Have a relevant infectious disease.
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Exclude patients from the exercise component if they have:
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· Musculoskeletal or neurological disorders that prevent gentle exercise.
· Unstable cardiovascular disease (e.g. unstable angina, aortic valve disease, unstable pulmonary hypertension).
· Known metastatic cancer.
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Who Refers Patients?
Referrals to pulmonary rehabilitation programs can come from:
· Hospital inpatient or outpatient departments.
· Respiratory specialists including physicians, surgeons, physiotherapists and nurses.
· General practitioners.
· General physicians.
· Allied health professionals.
· Community health professionals.
· Potential participants (i.e. self referrals).
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