Comparable improvements achieved in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through pulmonary rehabilitation with and without a structured educational intervention: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary rehabilitation is beneficial for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and typically includes exercise and disease-specific education components. However, the benefits directly attributable to the education component remain unclear. This trial sought to determine whether the addition of education to exercise training resulted in greater improvements in health outcomes than pulmonary rehabilitation where education has been omitted. METHODS: A randomized trial with allocation concealment, assessor blinded to group allocation and intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. Two hundred and sixty-seven people with COPD (mean age 72(9) years, f..