Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a cornerstone intervention for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, improving functional capacity, symptom burden, and quality of life. This study aims to characterize a subpopulation of patients who were previously or are currently enrolled in outpatient PR, focusing on socio-demographic, clinical, and functional, characteristics. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted using data from patients followed in a PR at a tertiary care center, Hospital Pulido Valente, Lisbon. Between January 2021 and July 2025, a total of 1862 patients were enrolled in the program. Preliminary results from a subsample of 256 patients are presented. Results: The study included 256 patients (64.7 ± 13.2 years;55.1% male;76.9% Caucasian). Nearly half of the patients were former smokers,while 18.3% were never-smokers. Mean body mass index was 26.6 ± 5.4 kg/m2. At the time of analysis,44.9% had completed PR and 52.3% were actively enrolled;seven deaths (2.7%) were recorded. Most patients participated in in-person programs(87.1%),while 4.7% were enrolled in telerehabilitation PR. Living alone or requiring nursing home support was reported in 9% of cases. COPD was the most prevalent diagnosis (43%), followed by ILD (22.7%) and bronchiectasis (10.2%). According to GOLD classification, 12.9% were group A, 34.4% group B, and 52.7% group E.Mean FEV1 was 58.6±21.4% predicted, indicating predominantly moderate airflow limitation. The median mMRC dyspnea score was 2. Hypercapnia was present in 9.8% of patients and hypoxemia in 18.0%. Most patients were referred to PR following pulmonology outpatient consultation (42%), while 30% were referred through Pneumology Day Hospital, 14% after inpatient pulmonology admission, and 11% after thoracic surgery hospitalization. Conclusions: This real-world cohort highlights the heterogeneity and clinical complexity of patients enrolled in PR. Detailed characterization of this population provides valuable insight into clinical needs, and opportunities to optimize PR services, reinforcing the central role of PR in patients with high symptom burden and increased exacerbation risk.
Cardoso et al. (2026) studied this question.