A survey exploring the needs, preferences, and challenges of the key stakeholders for participating in and developing pulmonary rehabilitation in Pune, India

Considering a huge burden of chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in India, there is a need for locally relevant Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services. This cross-sectional survey was aimed to explore the interest, needs and challenges among various stakeholders for PR in Pune city, India. At the outpatient respiratory medicine department of a multi-speciality hospital in Pune, India, 403 eligible people with CRDs were invited to participate in the survey, of which 370 (92%) responded and agreed to participate. (220 males, mean ± SD age 56 ± 15 years). Out of the 370, 323 (87%) people with CRDs were keen to attend PR. In a multiple selection question, there was inclination towards paper-based manuals home-based (70%) and web-based (84%) programs. 207 healthcare providers (HCPs), including physicians, pulmonologists and physiotherapists involved in the care of people living with CRDs across Pune city were invited to participate in the survey. Out of the 207, (80%) of the HCPs believed that PR was an effective management strategy and highlighted the lack of information on PR and need for better understanding of PR (48%) and its referral process. The surveyed stakeholders are ready to take up PR, identifying specific needs around further knowledge of PR, modes of delivery, and referral processes, that could potentially feed the development of relevant PR programs in the Indian healthcare settings.