2015 Official ATS/ERS Policy Statement: Enhancing Implementation, Use, and Delivery of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has demonstrated physiological, symptom-reducing, psychosocial, and health economic benefits for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, yet it is underutilized worldwide. Insufficient funding, resources, and reimbursement; lack of healthcare professional, payer, and patient awareness and knowledge; and additional patient-related barriers all contribute to the gap between the knowledge of the science and benefits of PR and the actual delivery of PR services to suitable patients.

Objectives: The objectives of this document are to enhance implementation, use, and delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation to suitable individuals worldwide.
Methods: Members of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Rehabilitation and Chronic Care Group established a Task Force and writing committee to develop a policy statement on PR. The document was modified based on feedback from expert peer reviewers. After cycles of review and revisions, the statement was reviewed and formally approved by the Board of Directors of the ATS and the Science Council and Executive Committee of the ERS.

Main Results: This document articulates policy recommendations for advancing healthcare professional, payer, and patient awareness and knowledge of PR, increasing patient access to PR, and ensuring quality of PR programs. It also recommends areas of future research to establish evidence to support the development of an updated funding and reimbursement policy regarding PR.

Conclusions: The ATS and ERS commit to undertake actions that will improve access to and delivery of PR services for suitable patients. They call on their members and other health professional societies, payers, patients, and patient advocacy groups to join in this commitment.

Read More: http://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201510-1966ST#.Vmvjnr_eqUk

New 2013 Guidelines on Pulmonary Rehabilitation

A fresh guideline on pulmonary rehabilitation has been published this week, helping professionals, patients and the public understand what to expect from a pulmonary rehabilitation programme.

The new guideline, produced by the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society, supports the use of pulmonary rehabilitation as an essential part of the care offered to people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other long-term lung conditions.

Link to 2013 Guidelines on Pulmonary Rehabilitation

For the first time, the European Lung Foundation has produced a patient version of this official ERS guideline. 

Link to this important Respiratory document

This document can be freely downloaded to help increase public understanding and awareness of pulmonary rehabilitation and what to expect from the programme.

ACCP 2012 event: Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Home Mechanical Ventilation. State of Science and Practice

Dear friends I am just back from the Conference with International Participation entitled: “Pulmonary Rehabilitation and  Home Mechanical Ventilation. State of Science and Practice”, and the Satellite event: “Sleep Medicine Course, Modern Treatments Applied in Sleep Apnea Syndrome” endorsed by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) which took place in Iasi, between 10 th – 12 th of May 2012.

It was great scientific event, quality of presentations was very high which was determined by international and national faculty! In event participated leaders from  American College of Chest Physicians: Professor Suhail Raoof, MD, FCCP, MACP, FCCM, President of ACCP, USA; Professor. David Gutterman, MD, FCCP, ACCP Immediate Past President, USA; Professor Darcy Marciniuk, MD, FCCP, ACCP President Elect, Canada; Florin Mihălțan, MD, PhD, FCCP, President of Romanian Society of Pneumology.

Also were organized very useful Hands-on workshops on Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Sleep medicine and Orotracheal Intubation.

I want to congratulate all organizers and participants with successful event!