Community-based Pulmonary Rehabilitation in an Economically Deprived Area of Jodhpur, India: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Trial

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been shown to be a highly effective intervention for people living with COPD, with improvements observed in exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, and dyspnoea. In low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), such as India, the need for PR greatly exceeds capacity. Individuals with COPD from economically deprived areas of India are at a significant disadvantage due to the underutilisation of PR (ie, being limited to the private sector)1 and the high associated healthcare costs. Current evidence in India has shown that dependence on caregivers for travel to a rehabilitation facility, the strain of healthcare expenses on family, low self-esteem of the participants, and lack of awareness or recognition of the PR benefits hinders individuals from participating in rehabilitation programmes.2 Various modes of PR delivery, such community-based PR in non-healthcare facilities, have been utilised to combat these barriers in both high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs and have been shown to be safe, viable, and efficacious for those unable to access PR in a specialised facility.3 Accordingly, the aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of community-based PR for individuals with COPD residing in economically deprived areas of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.