Long-Term Maintenance Strategies after Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Perspectives of People with Chronic Respiratory Diseases, Informal Carers, and Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is an effective intervention for people with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD); however, its effects fade after 6–12 months. Community-based strategies might be valuable to sustain PR benefits, but this has been little explored. People with CRD, informal carers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) were recruited from pulmonology appointments of two local hospitals, two primary care centres, and one community institutional practice and through snowballing technique. Focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured guide. Data were thematically analysed. Twenty-nine people with CRD (24% female, median 69 years), 5 informal carers (100% female, median 69 years), and 16 HCPs (75% female, median 36 years) were included. Three themes were identified: “Maintaining an independent and active lifestyle” which revealed common strategies adopted by people with “intrinsic motivation and professional and peer support” as key elements to maintain benefits, and that “access to information and partnerships with city councils’ physical activities” were necessary future steps to sustain active lifestyles. This study suggests that motivation, and professional and peer support are key elements to maintaining the benefits of PR in people with CRD, and that different physical activity options (independent or group activities) considering peoples’ preferences, should be available through partnerships with the community, namely city councils.