Recent highlights in pulmonary rehabilitation research.

Authors

Tiffany J Dwyer, Sonia Wm Cheng, Renae J McNamara, Marita T Dale, Sally L Wootton, Angela T Burge

Published in

Journal of physiotherapy. Sep 22, 2026. Epub Sep 22, 2026.

Abstract

This paper highlights research relating to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for adults with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) published between January 2021 and May 2026.
To identify studies for inclusion, three electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and CINAHL. Search results were screened and relevant studies were grouped according to their topic area. Studies perceived to be of high quality and of substantial clinical importance were selected for inclusion in the review.
This narrative review synthesised five key themes in PR research. Theme 1 (access, uptake and completion of PR): Workforce capacity-building, effective referral practices and culturally adapted programs are increasingly recognised as key strategies for improving PR participation. Theme 2 (PR beyond stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)): The evidence for PR now extends well beyond stable COPD, with growing evidence of benefit and safety for people after an acute exacerbation of COPD, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, asthma and post-tuberculosis lung disease. Theme 3 (alternative PR models): A growing range of alternative PR models offers opportunities to improve access and support personalised care. Evidence-based alternative models should be offered when centre-based PR is not feasible. Theme 4 (maintenance of benefits after completion of PR): Ongoing exercise is essential after PR, although the optimal method remains unclear. Incorporating behaviour change techniques appears important for sustaining exercise beyond the initial PR program. Theme 5 (economic analyses of PR): There is mounting evidence for the economic benefits associated with different program delivery models for people with a range of CRD.
PR has significantly expanded its scope in recent years, with effectiveness beyond stable COPD and with new delivery modes beyond centre-based PR. There is also now evidence for the economic benefits of PR, although low access to PR and maintaining the benefits after PR completion remain ongoing challenges.

PMID:
42838838
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Oct 2026.

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