Effect of a home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program on functional capacity and health-related quality of life in people with interstitial lung disease - A randomized controlled trial protocol

Background: Centre-based pulmonary rehabilitation is an effective, non-pharmacological intervention in improving outcomes for people with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a lower-cost rehabilitation alternative for people with chronic respiratory diseases. The aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy of home-based PR on functional capacity and health-related quality of life in people with ILD, as well as to assess changes in dyspnea and fatigue, muscle strength, activities of daily living, depression, and anxiety after completing a home-based PR program.

Methods: Ninety-six individuals with ILD will be randomly assigned to either an intervention group (home-based PR exercise training program) or a control group (usual care). An assessor blind to group allocation will measure the 6-min walk distance, peripheral muscular strength, health-related quality of life, dyspnoea, anxiety and depression, fatigue, activities of daily living, upper limb and lower limb endurance at baseline, at program completion one month, and three months after the intervention.

Discussion: If home-based PR programs are proven to be beneficial over time, they will address a critical gap by giving a readily accessible and viable choice of rehabilitation to people with ILD, enabling more people to participate in an exercise program.