ATS Joins 17 Colleague Societies to Highlight the Effectiveness of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
This week, the ATS joined with peer patient and professional organizations to increase awareness of the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation.  The joint letter highlights the finding of a recent study by Peter Lindenauer and colleagues, which found that, in persons hospitalized due to acute exacerbation of COPD, PR within three months of discharge vs. later or no PR, was associated with a highly significant lower risk of mortality at one year (hazard ratio, 0.63; i.e., a 37 percent lower risk of death over the year following discharge). The study utilized claims data of 197,376 Medicare beneficiaries discharged after hospitalization for COPD.  The findings support PR as a high priority following hospitalization for COPD.

News of this important study was shared across all 18 participating organizations through web postings and a coordinated social media blitz.