Access to pulmonary rehabilitation for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities: A cohort study

Little is known about the extent of cultural and linguistic diversity among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australia and if ethno-cultural factors influence engagement in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the extent of cultural and linguistic diversity among people with COPD and identify variables that influence engagement in PR. Patients with COPD attending the respiratory outpatient clinic at a metropolitan health service completed a study-specific questionnaire with results descriptively analysed. Access issues of awareness, referrals, attendance and completion of PR were examined. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify variables that influenced engagement in PR. Ninety-seven participants were recruited, of whom 36 (37%) self-identified a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) community. While participants from CALD communities had less awareness of PR as compared with the English Australian group (χ² (df) = 5.3 (1), p = 0.02), there were no significant between-group differences in number of observed referrals (p = 0.30), attendance (p = 0.50) and completions of PR (p = 0.90). Only 11 (11%) out of 97 participants completed PR. Age (p = 0.006) and being from a CALD community (p = 0.03) were independent factors impacting on the awareness of PR while English proficiency (p = 0.04) was an independent factor impacting on referrals to PR. While older age and being from a CALD community were associated with having less awareness in PR, referrals to, attendance and completion rates of PR were similar regardless of ethnicity.