Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation identifies and treats the systemic effects of the disease and the positive outcomes are realised without demonstrable improvements in lung function. It is multidisciplinary, patient centred and provides a comprehensive assessment upon which the three components of exercise training, self-management education, and psychosocial/ behaviour intervention are conducted over a period lasting 6 to 12 weeks. Pulmonary rehabilitation administered after hospital admission for an exacerbation was shown to be able to improve quality of life, improve exercise capacity, and also reduce re-exacerbation and hospital admission. Self-management education may promote long-term adherence to the exercise program.