Self-Management in Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes have long recognized that, while exercise training is vitally important for patients with lung disease, equally important is the opportunity provided by a rehabilitation programme to deliver education to patients with chronic respiratory disease and help them to develop the skills and confidence they need to adopt a healthier lifestyle [1]. Patient education whether individually or in groups has always been an important component of pulmonary rehabilitation. The content and delivery of this education has gradually evolved from a traditional, didactic approach to one informed by an understanding of human psychology, which promotes adaptive behaviour change through the inclusion of collaborative self-management [2, 3].