Statement and considerations for the remote delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This document has been produced to support providers of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services in response to numerous requests for guidance received by the ACPRC during the COVID-19 pandemic to date. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated national measures to reduce transmission have significantly impacted healthcare provision across the UK. Following the outbreak, many ‘non-essential’ services have adapted in order to provide a partially or fully remotely delivered service (telephone or video-conferencing) in order to continue to serve their local population. A survey of PR healthcare professionals was conducted in the development of this document in order to scope current practice in PR services across the UK. The British Thoracic Society (BTS) have recently produced guidance on PR regarding remote assessment and reopening services for ‘business as usual’ participants (Gardiner et al. 2020a; Singh et al. 2020a). This document seeks to provide pragmatic guidance on the practical delivery of remote PR for healthcare professionals working in this field, which should be used alongside local guidance. We are unable to provide universal recommendations due to the extensive variation in factors currently affecting the delivery of PR services across the UK. The recommendations provided are for guidance only and may be updated in response to further government and national guidelines. This guidance document is formed of 2 parts: • Part 1 covers the background and rationale, methods of guidance development, adapted models of service delivery, risk assessment, workforce, and resources for remote delivery. • Part 2 will cover platforms for remote delivery, components of PR (assessment and re-assessment, exercise, and education) via remote delivery, and audit.