ZuWallack - Figure 5
Pulmonary Rehabilitaion Outcomes
FIG. 5: This Figure lists some of the outcomes that can be expected from pulmonary rehabilitation, according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS).[6] These outcomes can be grouped into in three categories: those that are noncontroversial and supported by grade A evidence; those that are probable but with lesser degrees of evidence; and those that are possible, albeit with even less supporting evidence.
The noncontroversial benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation include increased exercise capacity and reduced dyspnea, both during exercise and during daily activities, as well as improved scores on HRQOL questionnaires. Probable benefits include increased physical activity in the home and community settings, reduced health care utilization, especially in the peri-exacerbation period for COPD, and reductions in anxiety and depression, which are epidemic in patients with advanced COPD. Finally, possible benefits include lower mortality risk and even cost effectiveness.
References
Spruit MA, Singh SJ, Garvey C, et al; ATS/ERS Task Force on Pulmonary Rehabilitation. An official American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society statement: Key concepts and advances in pulmonary rehabilitation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2013;188:e13–e64.
