Sustaining Training Effects Through Physical Activity

Enhancing Physical Activity to Achieve Sustainable Benefits in Extrapulmonary Consequences of COPD

This randomized control trial will investigate whether the implementation of a telecoaching program, initiated during pulmonary rehabilitation, is able to increase and maintain physical activity and general benefits until six months after rehabilitation discharge.

After three months of pulmonary rehabilitation (3 times a week), patients with COPD will be randomized to either an intervention group which receives an additional telecoaching program on top of the pulmonary rehabilitation, or to the usual care group, which only receives rehabilitation program. Apart from the added telecoaching program to the intervention group, the rehabilitation program will be identical and last for another three months (2 times a week). After discharge, both groups will be followed up for six months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a primary diagnosis of COPD according to internationally accepted guidelines
• Patients that completed three months of the outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program of Gasthuisberg University Hospital (Leuven, Belgium)
• Current or previous smoking exposure of at least 10 pack years
• Ability to manage electronic devices (smartphone, step counter)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other predominant respiratory diseases than COPD (asthma, pulmonary hypertension)
• Orthopedic, neurological and muscular co morbidities that could interfere with normal biomechanical movement patterns and the ability to increase physical activity levels
• Patients on the waiting list for lung transplantation