How can we improve physical activity in people with COPD?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a critical treatment for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that improves exercise capacity and reduces symptoms, but the benefits wear off over time. Improving physical activity levels in daily life after pulmonary rehabilitation is an important treatment goal in order to make the benefits more durable, but the best way to do this has not been established. The aim of this project is to examine whether home-based rehabilitation is more effective than traditional centre-based rehabilitation for improving physical activity in COPD. We will use existing data from the HomeBase2 randomised controlled trial that compared home vs centred based rehabilitation in over 400 people with COPD recruited from 14 Australian hospitals. We will compared objectively measured physical activity levels (using the Actigraph) to examine differences in moderate to vigorous physical activity, and sedentary time, after each type of rehabilitation program. Results of this study will be used to optimise the outcomes of pulmonary rehabilitation, a very important treatment for COPD.