title: Participant experiences of a community-based maintenance program post-pulmonary rehabilitation.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to describe the perspectives of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who participated in a minimally supervised maintenance exercise intervention and identify the barriers and facilitators associated with participation. The intervention was delivered in a community center and was designed to maintain exercise capacity and quality of life following discharge from pulmonary rehabilitation. This study utilized qualitative focus groups (FGs) involving individuals with COPD (n = 12) who had been attending the maintenance community program for at least 6 months. All individuals who met the inclusion criteria for the FGs consented to participate. Four themes were identified: (1) issues around attendance; (2) perceived benefits of the program; (3) perceived burdens of the program; and (4) recommendations for program improvement. Participants expressed more benefits than barriers, stating that their experience of improved function and quality of life facilitated their attendance. Barriers included exacerbations, fatigue, access to transportation, and weather. Participants endorsed the benefits of a community-based maintenance exercise program after pulmonary rehabilitation. Minimally supervised community-based programs with access to a case manager may provide a useful approach to enhancing adherence to exercise.
authors.affiliation: 1Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Desveaux
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beauchamp
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000592:standards*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation; D057240:Patient Preference; D010809:Physical Fitness; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: COPD; barriers; benefits; community; exercise; perspectives