Pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for an overview of Cochrane reviews.

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an indispensable component in the nonpharmacological management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with significant improvements in quality of life and exercise capacity. It is strongly supported by systematic reviews (SR) as part of the treatment of these patients. However, it is not known which PR components are essential, such as duration, ideal locations, type and intensity of training, degree of supervision, adherence, cost-effectiveness challenge, and how long the program effects last.