Comparison of the Impact of Conventional and Web-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Physical Activity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Exploratory Feasibility Study.
Emma Chaplin, Amy Barnes, Chris Newby and 2 others
PMID 35266871WHAT IT FOUND
Neither web-based nor conventional pulmonary rehabilitation significantly increased daily step counts in people with COPD.
The web-based group showed a non-significant 12% rise in steps, while the conventional group showed a non-significant trend toward longer activity bouts.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in steps per day between the web-based and conventional pulmonary rehabilitation groups at baseline or after the intervention.
02Participants in the conventional group showed a non-significant trend toward increasing 20-minute bouts of physical activity, whereas the web-based group's step increase came mainly from 2-minute bouts.
03Age and FEV1 were associated with physical activity at baseline, but this association disappeared after rehabilitation; BMI remained significantly associated with physical activity post-intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This was an exploratory secondary analysis with a small sample size (54 participants with complete data), meaning it was not powered to detect significant differences. The study only included participants who were web-literate and willing to use a digital platform, creating selection bias. There was a high withdrawal rate in the web-based group, often due to difficulties with the technology. The analysis was 'per protocol', which risks overestimating effects compared to an intention-to-treat analysis. Data collection occurred at different times of the year, so seasonal variations in weather and daylight may have influenced activity levels.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 12% increase in steps in the web-based group as evidence that the program works. This change was not statistically significant, and the study was too small to draw firm conclusions about efficacy.