[Pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

PULMONARY REHABILITATION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE. The positive effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on dyspnea, health-related quality of life, anxiety and depressive symptoms, exercise capacity and healthcare costs have been repeatedly confirmed. These results are similar between inpatient, outpatient or home-based PR programs. PR must include therapeutic education, psycho-social and motivational strategies, and exercise training and strategies for resuming daily physical activities. PR is delivered by an interdisciplinary (and at best transdisciplinary) team, who will support the patient for adopting new favorable health behaviors. PR is a complete care that requires coordination with the health professionals. The attending physician of people with COPD plays a key role in the continuous care of those patients, not only through the prescription of PR but in the ongoing long-term follow up to ensure that PR benefits are sustained.