Implementing a 6-Week Pulmonary Rehabilitation Model to Increase Participation While Maintaining Quality Outcomes

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs are underutilized for various reasons. The most common barriers reported by patients are cost, access, availability, and understanding of the benefits of PR. While maintaining essential PR components, faculty in the respiratory care program developed a student-led 6-week PR program for uninsured patients diagnosed with a pulmonary disease and/or experiencing shortness of breath (SOB) that is affecting their quality of life. The hypothesis for this project is the completion of the 6-week PR program will improve the patient’s activities of daily living and dyspnea. Methods: Enrolled 20 uninsured patients in a 6-week PR program. The patients attend one session per week and complete the pre- and post-assessments outlined in the AACVPR guidelines for PR. The objectives of this project were to evaluate: 1) the outcomes of the 6-week PR program as defined by the AACVPR guidelines, 2) changes in health-related quality of life using standardized tools. IRB approval was obtained for this retrospective chart review. Results: All 20 patients completed the 6-week PR program with favorable outcomes All 20 patients met the 100 ft increase in their post-6-min walk test and had improved scores on their shortness of breath (SOB) and dyspnea questionnaires. Conclusions: Innovative and collaborative PR programs are needed to meet the needs of patients, especially the uninsured. This program was designed to increase patient participation and have patients experience the value and benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation. Upon completion of the program, the patients have a better understanding of their pulmonary condition, medication management, breathing exercises, and the importance of staying active every day.A patient diagnosed with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and post-COVID-19 is completing their initial 6 Minute Walk Test (6MWT).