The effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on the perceived health-related quality of life of patients diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis

Abstract

This research project was done with the scope of investigating the influence of pulmonary rehabilitation on the health-related quality of life of individuals diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis. It was done in close collaboration with another study that investigated the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on the Six-Minute Walk Test in the same sample of participants. Both of the studies form part of a larger Ph.D. level study being done on pulmonary rehabilitation. A sample of 38 participants diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis were included in this research study, and randomly allocated either to the trial group, where they underwent a 12-week pulmonary rehabilitation program, or to the control group. The health-related quality of life of all participants was assessed by the Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire throughout the 12 weeks, at 4-weekly intervals. The participants that underwent the pulmonary rehabilitation program registered a mean significant improvement in their health-related quality of life across the 12 weeks, in contrast to an insignificant, yet considerable deterioration noted in the control sample. This dissertation suggests that pulmonary rehabilitation positively influences the health-related quality of life of patients diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis.