Barriers to pulmonary rehabilitation: Characteristics that predict patient attendance and adherence

Abstract

Smoking status, availability of social support and markers of disease severity were predictors of attendance and adherence to PR.

The Reasons for Non-Adherence in Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs

“…Although the program structures were personal, it is believed that transportation problems, the lack of belief in cure, and low expectations pertaining to health conditions are considered to play a role in not attending the program. Only a poor functional status and pulmonary functions have been demonstrated as causes underlying non-attendance in two separate studies; this is consistent with our results (20,21 Those not attending PR (22). In this study, it was seen that the quality of life of the patients who did not attend the program was deteriorated, with a decreased exercise capacity.…”

“…When smoking histories were examined, there was no statistically significant difference between the attending and non-attending groups in terms of pack-years. Although the smoking history was found to be a significant cause of maladaptation in a study comprising COPD patients, which was consistent with this study, there was no relationship between pack-years and not attending the program (22).…”

“…In this study, attacks were among the common causes. In another study that comprised COPD patients diagnosed in 2013, the rate of not attending the program was 29.1%, with the most common cause underlying non-attendance being attacks (22%) and other medical causes (20%) (22). When evaluated with our study, all medical reasons, including attacks, were found to be the most common reason for not attending the program (31.2%).…”

A Cohort Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Low Load/High Repetition Elastic Band Resistance Training for People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

“…Nevertheless, the results are of importance since people with moderate disease are one of the larger groups in the COPD population [32]. However, it would be of interest to investigate the feasibility of the exercise regimen also in people with were severe disease as adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation has been shown to be lower in those with larger ventilator restraints [33,34]. Also, there were some missing data which may have led to bias [26].…”

Pulmonary rehabilitation

“…The use of long-term oxygen therapy and living alone have been identified as independent predictors of poor attendance in patients with stable COPD, whereas current smoking, poor shuttle walk distance and hospitalisation are independent predictors of poor adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation [61]. Thus, future international policy statements should be developed to increase patient access to pulmonary rehabilitation, increase the capacity of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes, increase availability and amount of payer funding, and enhance knowledge and awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation among patients with chronic respiratory disease, healthcare providers and payers.…”