Telerehabilitation is safe and achieves clinically meaningful benefits, according to a study published in Thorax. Narelle S. Cox, Ph.D., and colleagues investigated whether home-based telerehabilitation was equivalent to center-based pulmonary rehabilitation in people with COPD. Individuals with a chronic respiratory disease referred to pulmonary rehabilitation were randomized to pulmonary rehabilitation or telerehabilitation two times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was a change in the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire Dyspnoea domain at the end of rehabilitation. Secondary outcomes included exercise capacity, HRQOL, symptoms, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being. Among 142 participants randomized to pulmonary rehabilitation or telerehabilitation, 96% and 97% were included in the intention-to-treat analysis, respectively. The researchers found no significant differences between groups for any outcome. Both groups achieved meaningful improvement in dyspnea and exercise capacity.
