Characteristics of pulmonary rehabilitation programs and their effects on exercise capacity and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with interstitial lung disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is characterized by dyspnoea, reduced exercise capacity and poor health related quality of life (HRQoL). The evidence to support the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on exercise capacity (EC) and HRQoL in this population is still limited. We aimed to determine the effect of the different PR components on exercise capacity and HRQoL in patients with ILD.