Promoting long-term benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation: the role of reducing the impact of respiratory exacerbations.

The importance of exercise for pulmonary patients is unquestioned. Decreased functional status has been attributed to increased hospitalizations, leading to further decreases in functionality, decreased quality of life and increased mortality. Despite known benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation, recruitment and retention of program participants can be a challenge.

An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: key concepts and advances in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is recognized as a core component of the management of individuals with chronic respiratory disease. Since the 2006 American Thoracic Society (ATS)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) Statement on Pulmonary Rehabilitation, there has been considerable growth in our knowledge of its efficacy and scope.

Purpose: The purpose of this Statement is to update the 2006 document, including a new definition of pulmonary rehabilitation and highlighting key concepts and major advances in the field.

Pulmonary rehabilitation: WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.

The multidisciplinary treatment of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR), which includes exercise training, self-management education, and psychosocial and nutritional intervention, is now a standard of care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been incorporated into major guidelines. We must now focus efforts on improving its impact and widening its applicability. What is the direction of PR; where does it fit in the comprehensive care of the COPD patient; and how can clinicians best apply this important intervention? This was the charge of the roundtable discussion, Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Moving Forward, involving 20 experts from North America and Europe, which was convened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in early 2008.

Reliability and validity of the Exercise Self-Regulatory Efficacy Scale for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Exercise has important benefits for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, to sustain long-term benefits of exercise, adherence is needed. Adherence requires self-regulation.

Pulmonary rehabilitation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a scientific and political agenda.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is the standard of care for patients suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This report describes and defines PR and reviews the evidence regarding the efficacy of PR. COPD management guidelines that include PR have been published by the European Respiratory Society, the American Thoracic Society, and the British Thoracic Society, and those guidelines were supported by evidence-based guidelines published jointly by the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.