The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a home-based exercise training program in COPD patients who have completed a pulmonary rehabilitation.
Exercise training is an important component of the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and numerous trials have shown large improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and exercise capacity in persons with COPD. However, the great majority of patients who would benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) never follow such a program. Moreover, many COPD patients are either not instructed to exercise at all or fail to adhere to exercise training at home after completing pulmonary rehabilitation. This study evaluates an exercise training program that requires minimal equipment (i.e., only a chair and elastic bands) and can be easily implemented long-term in the patient's home-setting.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
123
Home-based exercise training program that requires only minimal equipment, and is individually adaptable to the participant's exercise level (6 times per week; 15-20 min; 38 exercise cards and one interactive training agenda booklet). After randomization, a health care professional (HOMEX coach) will visit the intervention group participants at their home to set up the training location, to instruct the exercises and to establish individualized goals. Follow-up visits are planned after 3 and 8-9 weeks. Regular telephone calls will be conducted by the same HOMEX coach to motivate the patients, to discuss training progress and concrete benefits and barriers, and to adapt goals and the training program. Additional intervention elements are that a relative or friend is involved as a "sparring" partner to support the participant. The general practitioner is informed about the participation of his/her patient in the intervention.
Klinik Barmelweid
Barmelweid, Switzerland
Berner Reha Zentrum AG
Heiligenschwendi, Switzerland
Zürcher RehaZentren Wald
Wald, Switzerland
Kantonsspital Winterthur
Winterthur, Switzerland
University of Zurich
Dyspnea
Dyspnea domain of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ); 5 questions; 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (most severe dyspnea) to 7 (no dyspnea)
Time frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Dyspnea
Dyspnea domain of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ); 5 questions; 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (most severe dyspnea) to 7 (no dyspnea)
Time frame: Change from baseline to 3, 6 and 12 months
Exercise capacity
Six-Minute Walk Test (walk distance) and 1-min Sit-to-Stand Test (number of repetitions)
Time frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Health-related quality of life
Chronic Respiratory Questionnaires (CRQ): Fatigue, emotional function, mastery domain and EuroQoL (EQ-5D-5L): 5 Dimensions - Mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression including 1 item each with 5 levels
Time frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Health status
Visual analogue scale "Feeling thermometer" (0-100 scale; 0= "worst health you can imagine"; 100="best health you can imagine")
Time frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
Exacerbations
Event based, patient reported
Time frame: During entire study, assessed at 12 months
Symptoms
Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test
Time frame: Change from baseline to 12 months
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Zurich, Switzerland