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Objectives: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective approach in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but it is still underutilized. The aim of this study was to compare unsupervised home–based PR with hospital outpatient program in terms of exercise capacity, quality of life, dyspnea sensation, pulmonary functions, body composition, and psychological status in patients with COPD.
Methods: One hundred twenty-seven patients were selected retrospectively. The patients were allocated into 3 groups: group A (n=67, lost to follow-up), group B (n=60) unsupervised home PR, and group C (n=120) supervised outpatient PR. Baseline parameters were compared between groups A and B. Measurements before and after PR were compared in groups B and C. The chages in measurements were compared between groups B and C.
Results: Although baseline parameters of groups A and B were smiliar, 53% of the 127 patients were lost to follow-up. After the PR program, scores were improved in groups B and C regarding the ISWT (p<0.05), SGRQ (p<0.001), CRQ (p<0.001), MRC (p<0.05), anxiety (p<0.001), and depression (p<0.001), and the ESWT was increased in group C (p<0.001). ΔISWT (p=0.001), ΔESWT (p=0.029), ΔSGRQ (p<0.001), ΔCRQ (p<0.001), ΔMRC (p=0.023), Δanxiety (p<0.001) and Δdepression (p=0.001) scores were statistically different between groups B and C, in favor of group C.
Conclusion: Unsupervised home-based PR was found to effective in terms of exercise capacity, quality of life, dyspnea, psychological status, but less than supervised hospital-based programs. Further studies are needed to identify the modality and features of home-based PR.