Pulmonary rehabilitation: Current status and future trends
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a relatively new approach to the treatment o f patients with chronic lung disease. These programs are designed to m axim ize the functional capabilities o f such patients through a formal program o f education, exercise, physical therapy, respiratory care and other m odalities. Studies to date strongly suggest that pulmonary rehabilitation programs reduce morbidity (including m edical costs) and improve the functional status o f participants. H ow ever, programs are few in number and serve only a small fraction o f the potential population. M oreover, reimbursement is often suboptimal. Research programs studying the cost effectiveness o f various com ponents o f pulmonary rehabilitation urgently are needed to address these issues. From these w ill com e guidelines and certification procedures that w ill allow more w id espread developm ent o f truly effective programs; specifically, programs that w ill provide significant functional improvement at only a fraction o f the resultant productivity increases and health care cost savings.
