Publications by authors named "M L Benzo"
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) plays a crucial role in improving outcomes for individuals with chronic respiratory diseases. The most outstanding challenge in PR is the low referral, uptake, and adherence that is dramatically low in the post-hospitalization period in rural, minority, and low-income populations. Research efforts to increase the portfolio of PR through the testing and implementation of new and effective options for home-based and community-based programs are potential research targets.
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- Home-based interventions are increasingly important in health care, and this 8-week pilot study focused on implementing pulmonary rehabilitation at home for COPD patients in Sweden.
- The program involved the use of fitness trackers, weekly health coaching, and video-guided exercises, targeting patients aged 40 and older who were clinically stable.
- Results showed high adherence to health coaching and exercise videos, with some patients achieving increased daily step counts, although there were no significant improvements in overall quality of life.
Background: We recently reported on a randomized trial of home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that showed improvement in all domains of quality of life, accelerometry-measured physical activity, and self-management. In this current study, we used a theoretical framework to help us gain an in-depth understanding of how patients experience complex, multi-component programs to help uncover factors related to behavior change and to inform program scale-up in other populations.
Study Design And Methods: The parent trial was conducted with COPD patients receiving care at an academic medical center and a community health system in the upper Midwest.
Article Synopsis
- Pulmonary rehabilitation can enhance exercise tolerance and quality of life for patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease, particularly through home-based programs that are more accessible for those facing significant symptoms.
- A pilot study involving 21 patients showed improvements in symptoms like dyspnea and respiratory-related quality of life, although the findings lacked statistical significance.
- Participants reported varied experiences, with many feeling the program helped them adapt to their illness, despite having unclear expectations or goals at the outset.