Comparison of a Supervised Home-Based Tele-Rehabilitation with Center-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Protocol for a...

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine
• Digital Health Interventions
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is crucial for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management but faces low uptake (<5%) due to accessibility issues.
• Supervised home-based tele-rehabilitation (SHTR) presents a potential solution to overcome geographical and logistical barriers associated with center-based PR.
• Limited access to PR hinders optimal patient outcomes in COPD management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if supervised home-based tele-rehabilitation (SHTR) is non-inferior to traditional center-based pulmonary rehabilitation.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of SHTR in improving exercise capacity and other patient-related outcomes in COPD.
• To establish an accessible and effective alternative model for pulmonary rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• An 8-week program incorporating exercise training and education modules (nutrition, psychology).
• Primary outcome: change in 6-minute walking distance; Secondary outcomes: 1-minute sit-to-stand test, MIP, CAT, mMRC, HAD scores, diaphragm ultrasound, muscle mass, adherence, adverse events, exacerbations, and rehospitalizations.
• Blinded assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• This section is not available in the provided abstract.
• Further research is needed to analyze the primary and secondary outcomes.
• Data collection and analysis are ongoing.

Conclusions:

• SHTR is proposed as a necessary alternative to improve PR accessibility and patient outcomes for COPD.
• This trial will establish the non-inferiority of SHTR compared to traditional center-based pulmonary rehabilitation.
• The findings are expected to support the wider implementation of tele-rehabilitation models.