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Updated: May 29, 2026
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Comparison of two modes of delivery of an exercise prescription scheme
Louise Foley1, Ralph Maddison, Zanta Jones
1Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. L.foley@ctru.auckland.ac.nz
Aim:
Green Prescription (GRx) referrals from health professionals have been shown to be effective for increasing the physical activity levels of patients. Little is known about which methods of delivering the programme represents the best value for money. The purpose of this paper was to compare the cost and outcomes of two modes of delivery of a GRx programme. One mode offered phone support involving monthly telephone calls over a 3-4 month period to encourage physical activity participation. A second mode offered community support via weekly face-to-face support group meetings in which physical activities were offered.
Methods:
The evaluation involved staff interviews, patient interviews and analysis of GRx records for the 2007 calendar year.
Results:
There was a large rate of drop-out (68%) from GRx referral to registration. For those who registered, there was a clear preference for community support, and engagement of Maori and Pacific peoples was higher in this mode of delivery. The proportion (but not absolute number) of people who successfully completed their mode of delivery was higher with phone support. However, participants in community support self-reported a significantly greater number of days of exercise per week than those in phone support. The total expected cost per person for phone support was $102.07 and $108.15 for community support. A greater proportion of participants in community support were very satisfied overall with their mode of delivery.
Conclusion:
The two modes were comparable in cost and outcomes, though there was greater penetration of target ethnic populations in community support. Providing a choice of GRx mode of delivery allows participants to choose based on their personal and cultural needs.
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