Feasibility of an Outpatient Training Program after COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• COVID-19 recovery
• Post-hospitalization care

Background:

• Long-term physical effects of COVID-19 are increasingly recognized.
• Interventions to support recovery after hospitalization are needed.
• The feasibility of outpatient programs for COVID-19 survivors remains unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of a physiotherapy-led outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program.
• To assess recruitment, dropout, and tolerability of the program for COVID-19 survivors.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program was designed for patients post-hospital discharge.
• The program included twice-weekly aerobic cycle endurance (ACE) and resistance training (RT), education, and physical activity coaching.
• Feasibility outcomes measured were recruitment, dropout rates, sessions attended, and tolerability of training dose and mode.

Main Results:

• 12 out of 65 discharged patients were enrolled; 3 (25%) dropped out after 11-19 sessions.
• Tolerability was high for exercise duration (83% ACE, 100% RT) and intensity (92%).
• Tolerability for progressive intensity increase (83%) and ACE training mode (83%) was also favorable.

Conclusions:

• Preliminary findings suggest the described pulmonary rehabilitation protocol is feasible for a subset of COVID-19 patients.
• The program may offer benefits for individuals recovering from COVID-19 after hospital discharge.
• Further research is warranted to confirm efficacy and optimize the program for broader application.