Acceptability of community-based pulmonary rehabilitation in an economically deprived area of Jodhpur, India

<bold>Introduction:</bold>In low- and middle-income countries,<3% of chronic lung disease sufferers access pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) due to resource scarcity, limited awareness, and cost barriers particularly in low-income strata. Addressing PR acceptability in these settings is vital for tailoring PR to address unmet healthcare needs. <bold>Aim:</bold>To assess the acceptability of community-based PR programme among COPD patients living in economically deprived areas of Jodhpur and healthcare workers (HCWs) involved in its delivery. <bold>Method:</bold> The study was conducted in the Rajiv Colony slum, Jodhpur. Acceptability of PR was explored through semi-structured interviews conducted in local languages (Marwari and Hindi) and translated to English for thematic analysis. <bold>Results:</bold> Seven patients (3 PR completers, 4 non-completers) and 4 HCWs were interviewed, generating four themes (Fig 1). Participants recognized the disease impact on daily functioning and the need to address this. The main barriers to PR included loss of wages when attending day-time classes and traveling to the venue. Completers reported benefits of PR such as improved symptoms and quality of life. <bold>Conclusion:</bold>Although the completers reported positive effects, important challenges of implementing PR within this setting were outlined by non-completers and HCWs. These must be addressed to optimize the uptake and completion of PR in economically deprived areas of India. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/PA3179/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>