An Evaluation of Web Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Participants will undertake web-based PR twice/week for 6 weeks in their own home. They will be given individual log-in details to access the website with access to exercises and education pages. Participants will be provided with a standardised exercise programme at the start of the study. The level of intensity of exercises will be progressed as appropriate on an individual basis for all participants in the group. Participant log-ins and diaries will be monitored remotely and participants will be telephone at weeks 2 and 4 by their physiotherapist to discuss their progress and, at this time, exercises may be progressed by changing the level of difficulty/intensity. This is done remotely by physiotherapy staff.

Participants allocated to this group will undertake hospital-based PR twice per week for 6 weeks in. Participants attend PR classes and complete a circuit based exercise class. The level of intensity of exercises will be progressed as appropriate on an individual basis for all participants in the group. Following each class they will receive educational information about their condition.