Do pulmonary rehabilitation programmes improve outcomes in patients with COPD posthospital discharge for exacerbation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Previous systematic reviews have provided heterogeneous and differing estimates for the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation following exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this review was to examine the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes initiated within 3 weeks of hospital discharge following an exacerbation of COPD. Methods An update of a previous Cochrane review was undertaken using the Cochrane Airways Review Group Specialised Register. Searches were conducted from October 2015 to August 2023 for studies that initiated pulmonary rehabilitation within 3 weeks of hospital discharge. Studies assessing the impact of solely inpatient pulmonary rehabilitation were excluded. Forest plots were generated using a generic inverse variance random effects method. Results Seventeen studies were included. Posthospital discharge pulmonary rehabilitation reduced hospital re-admissions (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.77, I 2 =67%), improved exercise capacity (6 min walk test, mean difference (MD) 57 m, 95% CI 29 to 86, I 2 =89%; incremental shuttle walk test, MD 43 m, 95% CI 6 to 79, I 2 =81%), health-related quality of life (St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, MD −8.7 points, 95% CI −12.5 to −4.9, I 2 =59%; Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ)-emotion, MD 1.0 points, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.6, I 2 =74%; CRQ-fatigue, MD 0.9 points, 95% CI 0.1 to 1.6, I 2 =91%), and dyspnoea (CRQ-dyspnoea, MD 1.0 points, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.7, I 2 =87%; modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea Scale, MD −0.3 points, 95% CI −0.5 to −0.1, I 2 =60%). Significant effects were not observed for CRQ-mastery, COPD assessment test, EuroQol-5 Dimension-5 Level and mortality. No intervention-related adverse events were reported. Discussion Pulmonary rehabilitation delivered posthospital discharge for exacerbation of COPD results in a reduction in hospital re-admissions and improvements in exercise capacity, health-related quality of life and dyspnoea in the absence of any intervention-related adverse events. Trial registration number CRD42023406397.