History, Current Initiatives, and Future Directions of Pulmonary Rehabilitation for the Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a comprehensive intervention designed to improve the physical and psychological condition of patients with chronic respiratory disease. Despite proven benefits shown in multiple studies, uptake of PR remains dismal. This comprehensive review highlights the history of PR from the 1960s through the 2020s. This is followed by review of evidence and discussion on approaches to increasing referral and uptake of PR, the use of technology to provide virtual PR as an alternative or adjunct to traditional PR, PR in the management of the COPD patient particularly in the post exacerbation period and a brief review of PR approaches in developing countries.