Barriers for recruitment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to a controlled telemedicine trial.

The aim of this analysis is to investigate reasons why patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease decline to participate in a controlled trial of telemedicine. Patients with previous chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations were invited to participate in a 6-month randomized telemedicine trial. For eligible patients, reasons for refusal were registered.

Rehabilitation of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Exercise twice a week is not sufficient!

Several studies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have shown that pulmonary rehabilitation, consisting of at least three training sessions a week, improves exercise performance and health status. This study investigates feasibility, effect and economic aspects of a rehabilitation programme consisting of two sessions a week for 8 weeks. Twenty-four patients with moderate COPD were randomized to rehabilitation and 21 to placebo.