[Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice

Context:

• Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is integral to managing diverse pulmonary diseases.
• The study reviews current evidence on PR's efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and application across various conditions and settings.
• Methodology involved a selective literature search of PubMed and Medline, supplemented by expert opinions and clinical insights.

Purpose:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of recent evidence regarding outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.
• To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PR in various patient populations and healthcare settings.
• To highlight emerging trends like telerehabilitation and PR for post-COVID conditions.

Summary:

• Early PR post-COPD exacerbation significantly reduces rehospitalizations (HR 0.83) and mortality (HR 0.63) at 12 months.
• Outpatient PR is safe, feasible, and cost-effective for bronchiectasis, interstitial lung diseases, and pulmonary hypertension.
• Growing evidence supports PR for post-COVID and Long COVID patients, with telerehabilitation emerging as a viable option.

Impact:

• Demonstrates the equivalence of outpatient and inpatient PR, supporting broader accessibility.
• Highlights the significant benefits of PR in reducing healthcare utilization and improving patient outcomes.
• Establishes PR as a cornerstone therapy for chronic and acute pulmonary conditions, including emerging post-viral syndromes.