Effect of pulmonary rehabilitation duration on exercise capacity and health-related quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PuRe Duration Trial): A randomized controlled equivalence trial.

Background And Objective: There is no strong evidence on the optimal duration of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes. The aim of the study was to determine whether an 8-week PR programme was equivalent to a 12-week PR programme in improving endurance exercise capacity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Participants with COPD were randomized to either an 8-week (8-wk Group) or 12-week (12-wk Group), twice weekly, supervised PR programme consisting of endurance and strength training and individualized self-management education.

Effect of a 4-Week Telerehabilitation Program for People With Post-COVID Syndrome on Physical Function and Symptoms: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: COVID-19 has led to significant morbidity and mortality globally. Post-COVID sequelae can persist beyond the acute and subacute phases of infection, often termed post-COVID syndrome (PCS). There is limited evidence on the appropriate rehabilitation for people with PCS.

Integrated Text Messaging (ITM) for people attending cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation: A multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: People living with cardiac and respiratory disease require improved post-hospital support that is readily available and efficient.

Objectives: To 1) test the effectiveness of an automated, semi-personalised text message support program on clinical and lifestyle outcomes amongst people attending cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. Also, 2) to evaluate the program's acceptability and utility using patient-reported outcome and experience measures.

Building Your Future Holographic Mentor: Can We Use Mixed Reality Holograms for Visual Spatial Motor Skills Acquisition in Surgical Education?

Learning surgical skills require critical visual-spatial motor skills. Current learning methods employ costly and limited in-person teaching in addition to supplementation by videos, textbooks, and cadaveric labs. Increasingly limited healthcare resources and in-person training has led to growing concerns for skills acquisition of trainees.

Evaluating the effectiveness of learning ear anatomy using holographic models.

Background: Computer-assisted learning has been shown to be an effective means of teaching anatomy, with 3-D visualization technology more successfully improving participants' factual and spatial knowledge in comparison to traditional methods. To date, however, the effectiveness of teaching ear anatomy using 3-D holographic technology has not been studied. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of learning ear anatomy using a holographic (HG) anatomic model in comparison to didactic lecture (DL) and a computer module (CM).

Use of supplemental oxygen during exercise testing and training for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a survey of Australian pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine, in Australian pulmonary rehabilitation programs for people with COPD: (1) whether oxygen saturation (SpO) was monitored during exercise testing; (2) whether supplemental oxygen was available during exercise testing and/or training; (3) whether oxygen was prescribed during exercise training; and the reason for providing oxygen; (4) whether a protocol was available for supplemental oxygen prescription during exercise training.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional multi-center study using a purposed-designed survey. De-identified survey data were analyzed and the absolute number and percentage of responses were recorded for each question.

Oxygen compared to air during exercise training in COPD with exercise-induced desaturation.

Almost half the patients referred to pulmonary rehabilitation with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) desaturate during exercise. Although oxygen supplementation may ameliorate oxygen desaturation, the effects on outcomes of exercise training have not been rigorously evaluated. This study aimed to determine whether supplemental oxygen during exercise training was more effective than medical air in improving exercise capacity and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with COPD.

ITM support for patients with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Simple and scalable strategies are needed to improve 'out-of-hospital' support and management for people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disease. Text messaging via mobile phones has been shown to be effective in helping promote lifestyle change and is supported by quantitative and qualitative evidence. The aim of this study is to test the effectiveness and implementation of a 6-month text messaging support programme for people with CVD and respiratory disease as an addition to cardiac and pulmonary outpatient rehabilitation.

Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Brief-BESTest in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Objective:: To investigate the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the Brief Balance Evaluation System Test (Brief-BESTest) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its correlation between the Brief-BESTest score and lung function, functional exercise capacity, functional lower limb strength, and fear of falling.

Design:: Prospective, single-group, observational study.

Setting:: Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program.

Shuttle walk tests in people with COPD who demonstrate exercise-induced oxygen desaturation: An analysis of test repeatability and cardiorespiratory responses.

Exercise-induced oxygen desaturation (EID) is prevalent in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This article reports a sub-analysis from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in people with COPD and EID (COPD/EID). The primary aim, in people with COPD/ EID, was to determine the repeatability of the distance and time walked in the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) and endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT), respectively.

People attending pulmonary rehabilitation demonstrate a substantial engagement with technology and willingness to use telerehabilitation: a survey.

Questions: What is the level of technology engagement by people attending pulmonary rehabilitation? Are participant demographics and level of technology engagement associated with willingness to use telerehabilitation?

Design: A cross-sectional, multicentre study involving quantitative survey analysis.

Participants: Convenience sample of people with chronic respiratory disease attending a pulmonary rehabilitation program, maintenance exercise class or support group.

Outcome Measures: The survey assessed the participants' level of technology engagement (access to and use of devices), self-rated skill competence, access to online health information and willingness to use telerehabilitation.

Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines.

Background And Objective: The aim of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines (Guidelines) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the practice of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) specific to Australian and New Zealand healthcare contexts.

Methods: The Guideline methodology adhered to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II criteria. Nine key questions were constructed in accordance with the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) format and reviewed by a COPD consumer group for appropriateness.

A randomised controlled trial of supplemental oxygen versus medical air during exercise training in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: supplemental oxygen in pulmonary rehabilitation trial (SuppORT) (Protocol).

Background: Oxygen desaturation during exercise is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the study is to determine, in people with COPD who desaturate during exercise, whether supplemental oxygen during an eight-week exercise training program is more effective than medical air (sham intervention) in improving exercise capacity and health-related quality of life both at the completion of training and at six-month follow up.

Methods/design: This is a multi-centre randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, blinding of participants, exercise trainers and assessors, and intention-to-treat analysis.

Tai Chi as a form of exercise training in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art which incorporates elements of strengthening, balance, postural alignment and concentration. The benefits of Tai Chi in the healthy population have been widely examined. In comparison, only three studies have evaluated the effects of Tai Chi in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Towards the development of a haptic simulator of surgical gestures in orthopaedic spine surgery.

The objective of the present work is to develop a haptic system that will permit the demonstration of a proof of concept for the simulation of haptic effects typical of pediatric spine surgery. The first phase of this project focused on the development of a custom haptic system, and was followed by evaluation with experienced orthopedic surgeons. Initial findings demonstrate promise of this approach for further development into an advanced haptic system.

Short-form Sun-style t'ai chi as an exercise training modality in people with COPD.

The aims of the study were to determine the effect of short-form Sun-style t'ai chi (SSTC) (part A) and investigate exercise intensity of SSTC (part B) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Part A: after confirmation of eligibility, participants were randomly allocated to either the t'ai chi group or control group (usual medical care). Participants in the t'ai chi group trained twice weekly for 12 weeks.

Effects of incomplete decay in fluorescence lifetime estimation.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging has emerged as an important microscopy technique, where high repetition rate lasers are the primary light sources. As fluorescence lifetime becomes comparable to intervals between consecutive excitation pulses, incomplete fluorescence decay from previous pulses can superimpose onto the subsequent decay measurements. Using a mathematical model, the incomplete decay effect has been shown to lead to overestimation of the amplitude average lifetime except in mono-exponential decays.

Shuttle walk tests as outcome measures: Are two incremental shuttle walk tests and two endurance shuttle walk tests necessary?

This study was undertaken in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to determine differences in incremental shuttle walk test distance and endurance shuttle walk test time when two of each shuttle test were performed before (n = 53 participants) and after an exercise training program (n = 31 participants) and whether the results altered program outcomes. There was a significant increase in incremental shuttle walk test distance between the two incremental shuttle walk tests before (P < 0.001) and after training (P < 0.

Ground walk training improves functional exercise capacity more than cycle training in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): a randomised trial.

Questions: Does an eight-week program of walk training improve endurance walking capacity in people with COPD compared to cycle training? Does walk training improve peak walking capacity, cycle capacity, and quality of life compared to cycle training? Is the endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) responsive to change in walking capacity elicited by exercise training?

Design: Randomised trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis.

Participants: 36 people with stable COPD recruited with four dropouts.

Intervention: Participants were randomised into either a walk or cycle training group.