Qualitative responses to Pulmonary Rehabilitation - A report of the CoHoRT study of pulmonary rehabilitation.

HE Horobin1,  CG Billings2, JC Waterhouse2, RA Lawson2

Sheffield Hallam University 1 and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2, Sheffield, UK.

This UK Health Technology Assessment Board funded study compares Pulmonary Rehabilitation provided in community and hospital settings   It also considers whether a regular telephone call prolongs the effect of rehabilitation.  In addition to quantitative measures we conducted qualitative interviews for a patient perspective.

Interviewees were recruited from people attending for followup and were seen prior to testing. The interviews were conducted in two phases.  The first group were recorded and transcribed, the data analysed then the structured interviews developed for the second period. 37 people were interviewed including 10 poor rehabilitation attendees.

Topics discussed were expectations and achievements, experience and preferences of location and the telephone call follow up.

Participants were unsure of what to expect at and from rehabilitation.  Appreciation of the location of pulmonary rehabilitation is a complex and personally constructed issue, but access is a key concern which depends on mode of transport available.  Improved control of breathing was seen as the major gain, but telephone calls were not perceived as significant.

An interesting finding was that it was regarded as a pleasant holiday, possibly explaining short term benefits and a desire to repeat the experience annually.

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