Pulmonary Rehabilitation

A supervised, multidisciplinary program for people with chronic respiratory diseases that combines patient education, exercise training, and self-management skills to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and increase physical activity. During pulmonary rehabilitation, patients exercise in a safe environment where their heart rate and blood oxygen saturation are monitored by trained therapists. PR has been shown to reduce perceived dyspnea intensity and dyspnea-related distress and anxiety. However, access is severely limited — in the United States, only 831 PR centers serve an estimated 24 million people with COPD — making technology-mediated alternatives for safe, self-monitored exercise an important area of accessibility research.