Abstract
Rationale: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is safe, reduces hospital admissions and improves quality of life and exercise capacity of patients post-acute exacerbation of COPD(AECOPD). Despite the evidence, acceptance and completion rates of PR after AECOPD are low. These controversies provided the foundation for the “PR Post-AECOPD Meeting”, which was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and held in Montreal. The main objective of the meeting was to identify key research priorities in the complex area of care of delivering rehabilitation post-AECOPD.
Methods: All meeting participants (researchers, clinicians, patients, managers) were asked to complete a pre-meeting survey in order to gather opinions on research priorities and foster thinking prior to the beginning of the discussions. The first day of the meeting involved presentations from experts and a review of the pre-meeting survey results. Facilitated small group discussions occurred using the consensus building technique (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats [SWOT] method). The second day focused on large group discussions in order to identify the research themes.
Results: The top three research themes identified during the meeting were: 1) developing a phased approach to PR post-AECOPD, 2) developing individualized interventions and patient-centered outcomes in patients with AECOPD, and 3) gaining a greater understanding of the emotional and psychological impacts of AECOPD and how to treat them.
Conclusions: The outcomes of this meeting will guide researchers from around the world in their efforts to produce high-quality evidence in the field of PR post-AECOPD.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 3024.
This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2020