Perceived Autonomy Support in Telerehabilitation by People With Chronic Respiratory Disease: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Health Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Autonomy-supportive environments are crucial for patient behavior change and adherence.
• Telerehabilitation enhances access but may pose challenges in fostering autonomy support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the degree to which telerehabilitation provides an autonomy-supportive environment.
• To explore patient experiences within an 8-week telerehabilitation program.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative assessment using the Health Care Climate Questionnaire (HCCQ).
• Qualitative thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with telerehabilitation participants.
• Comparison with center-based pulmonary rehabilitation.

Main Results:

• Telerehabilitation environments were perceived as strongly autonomy-supportive, comparable to center-based programs.
• Key themes included convenience, flexible support, enhanced motivation, successful technology integration, and post-program adaptation challenges.
• Quantitative and qualitative data aligned, highlighting positive patient perceptions.

Conclusions:

• Telerehabilitation effectively creates an autonomy-supportive environment, facilitating pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Clinician and peer support contribute significantly to behavior change, understanding, and motivation.
• The long-term translation of autonomy support into sustained self-management remains unclear.