Maintenance Schedules Following Pulmonary Rehabilitation

This will be a randomised, controlled, parallel study of a maintenance pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Following successful completion of a PR programme in Norwich(see below) patients will be randomised to receive maintenance PR or standard medical care. Prior to enrolment in the PR programme, patients will undergo standard baseline assessments, after providing informed consent. These will include a medical examination, demographic details, past medical history, spirometry, an incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) to determine a predicted maximum oxygen consumption, an endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) at 85% of predicted maximum oxygen consumption (V02), chronic respiratory questionnaire (CRQ), EuroQol (EQ5D), hospital anxiety and depression score (HADS), serum interleukin(IL)-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP), body mass index (BMI), skinfold thickness and muscle strength. At the end of PR and twelve months following PR patients will undergo medical examination, ESWT at 85% of predicted maximum VO2, CRQ, EQ5D, HADS, serum interleukin(IL)-6 and CRP, BMI, skinfold thickness and muscle strength and an assessment of activity in the preceding month. At 3 months, 6 months and 9 months following PR patients will complete the CRQ and a questionnaire to assess activity in the preceding month. These will be undertaken by postal questionnaire. Baseline socioeconomic and costs questionnaire will be completed at entry to the PR and follow-up cost questionnaires will be completed following PR and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Patients will be given a diary card on which to record NHS contacts, prescriptions etc at all visits. The 3, 6 and 9-month questionnaires will be collected by post.