Cooke and associates explored the sustained benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attending a 12-month home-based pulmonary maintenance program. The incidence of COPD is high and aging populations will see this continue and possibly increase. PR programs are effective, but benefits may dissipate if the program is not continued. The maintenance program involved: strength retraining exercises; collaborative goal setting; regular telephone calls; and home visits. Around half of the 29 participants remained in contact with the program for 12 months and 21 completed final or 6-month assessment. Most participants maintained: respiratory functioning; quality of life; and self-efficacy, with some showing improvements. Outcomes provide knowledge for improving patient care through a home-based strategy to maintain benefits of PR programs.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that results suggest that in light of likely decline in benefits 6-12 months after PR, the maintenance program contributed to sustained benefits for COPD individuals and also provide information to aid investigators planning the design of similar larger research with this population.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PATIENT: The study might have shown greater success had it been a self-management program. That way, maintenance of self-management could have continued far longer. The authors suggest that such a program be conducted in the future.

M Cooke et al. Outcomes of a home-based pulmonary maintenance program for individuals with COPD: A pilot study. Contemporary Nursing, 2009;34;85-97.