Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines.
The aim of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines (Guidelines) is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the practice of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) specific to Australian and New Zealand healthcare contexts.



The Guideline methodology adhered to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II criteria. Nine key questions were constructed in accordance with the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) format and reviewed by a COPD consumer group for appropriateness. Systematic reviews were undertaken for each question and recommendations made with the strength of each recommendation based on the GRADE (Gradings of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) criteria. The Guidelines were externally reviewed by a panel of experts.



The Guideline panel recommended that patients with mild-to-severe COPD should undergo PR to improve quality of life and exercise capacity and to reduce hospital admissions; that PR could be offered in hospital gyms, community centres or at home and could be provided irrespective of the availability of a structured education programme; that PR should be offered to patients with bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, with the latter in specialized centres. The Guideline panel was unable to make recommendations relating to PR programme length beyond 8 weeks, the optimal model for maintenance after PR, or the use of supplemental oxygen during exercise training. The strength of each recommendation and the quality of the evidence are presented in the summary.



The Australian and New Zealand Pulmonary Rehabilitation Guidelines present an evaluation of the evidence for nine PICO questions, with recommendations to provide guidance for clinicians and policymakers.
Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Allied Health Professorial Unit, Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jennifer A
0000-0002-2011-4756
JA
Alison
Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Zoe J
ZJ
McKeough
Physiotherapy Discipline, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Kylie
K
Johnston
Department of Physiotherapy, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Renae J
RJ
McNamara
Department of Physiotherapy, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Lissa M
LM
Spencer
Physiotherapy Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.|School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Sue C
SC
Jenkins
Department of Physiotherapy, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Catherine J
CJ
Hill
Priority Research Centre for Healthy Lungs, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Vanessa M
VM
McDonald
School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Peter
P
Frith
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.|School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Paul
P
Cafarella
Respiratory Coordinated Care Program, Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Nowra, New South Wales, Australia.
Michelle
M
Brooke
Physiotherapy Services, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.|Centre of Research Excellence for Chronic Respiratory Disease and Lung Aging, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.|School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Helen L
HL
Cameron-Tucker
Department of Respiratory, Counties Manukau Health, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sarah
S
Candy
Physiotherapy Department, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Nola
N
Cecins
Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Andrew S L
AS
Chan
Department of Physiotherapy, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Marita T
MT
Dale
Department of Physiotherapy and Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Leona M
LM
Dowman
Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Physiotherapy, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Catherine
C
Granger
Department of Physiotherapy, LungSmart Physiotherapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.
Simon
0000-0002-2492-5222
S
Halloran
Department of Physiotherapy, Northern Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Peter
P
Jung
Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Annemarie L
AL
Lee
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Regina
R
Leung
Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Tamara
T
Matulick
Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Christian
0000-0001-9040-8007
C
Osadnik
Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Ludwig Engel Centre for Respiratory Research, The Westmead Centre for Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Mary
M
Roberts
Physiotherapy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.|School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
James
J
Walsh
Chronic Disease Community Rehabilitation Service, Northern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Sally
S
Wootton
Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.|Department of Physiotherapy, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Anne E
0000-0003-2061-845X
AE
Holland
D001315:Australia; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life
bronchiectasis; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; exercise and pulmonary rehabilitation; guidelines; interstitial lung disease