Predictors of Positive Outcomes in Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Aims: The study aims were to (1) determine the effect of participation in pulmonary rehabilitation on quality of life, severity of dyspnea, and exercise tolerance (2) evaluate predictors (number of pulmonary rehabilitation sessions attended, age, baseline quality of life, depression, and body mass index)of improvement in severity of dyspnea, exercise tolerance, and quality of life (3) to test if the amount of change in exercise tolerance and change in severity of dyspnea from the baseline to the end of pulmonary rehabilitation modifies the effect of the baselines variables on the change in quality of life from baseline to the end of rehabilitation.

Study Design: A descriptive retrospective design was used.

Methodology: We performed secondary analysis of records of 125 patients in the pulmonary rehabilitation registry in the University Hospitals of Cleveland / OH. The sample included all patients who completed six pulmonary rehabilitation sessions at least.

Results: Pulmonary rehabilitation improved quality of life, alleviate severity of dyspnea and enhance exercise tolerance. Greater baseline body mass index was the only significant predictor for the improvement in exercise tolerance (unstandarized β coefficient= 1.5, P= 0.02). None of the baseline variables predicted the change in severity of dyspnea. Better baseline quality of life was the only significant predictor for the improvement in quality of life (unstandarized β coefficient= -0.3, P=0.03). Changes in severity of dyspnea and change in exercise tolerance did not modify the effect of the baseline variables on the change in quality of life from baseline to the end of rehabilitation.

Conclusion: Positive rehabilitation outcomes are predicted by better baseline quality of life and higher body mass index. More research is needed to identify additional interventions to implement during rehabilitation to achieve positive outcomes in participants who have lower BMI and lower baseline quality of life.