Barriers on the assessment functioning and exercise prescription in patients with severe exacerbation of COPD: A multi-country survey

<bold>Background:</bold> Severe exacerbations of COPD (ECOPD) may lead to physical and functional impairments. Identifying barriers to assessing functioning and prescribing exercise for these patients is crucial for optimising treatment and imrpoving patient outcomes. <bold>Aim:</bold> To identify the barriers encountered by physiotherapists when assessing functioning and prescribing exercise for patients with severe ECOPD. <bold>Methods:</bold> Physiotherapists who regularly provide or have provided care to hospitalised patients with ECOPD completed an online survey available in both Portuguese and English language over a two-month period. Participants responded to questions related to clinical practice in ECOPD care. <bold>Results:</bold> A total of 108 physiotherapists from 17 countries (age 38.5 ± 9.1years, graduation time 14.6± 10.9years) were included. The main barriers identified were time constraints (49%), symptoms (48%) and patient non-cooperation (44%). Barriers to exercise prescription included symptoms (46%), lack of equipment (33%), and intensity and frequency of exercise (44%). Main barriers are showed in figure 1. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Physiotherapists identified several barriers to assessing functioning and prescribing exercise, mainly related to symptoms, patient cooperation and time/resources constraints. Addressing these barriers is crucial for optimising care for this population. CAPES-Print:88887.889045/2023-00;FAPESP. <fig><object-id>erj;64/suppl_68/OA944/F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><object-id>F1</object-id><graphic></graphic></fig>