The Effect of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Fatigue and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a debilitating condition. Those with COPD often complain about fatigue, which can negatively affect activities of daily living, and consequently, the quality of life (QoL). Objectives: This study aimed at determining the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on fatigue and QoL in patients with COPD. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on 40 eligible patients with COPD admitted to two teaching hospitals in Zahedan in 2018 - 2019. The subjects were randomized into the experimental (n = 20) and control (n = 20) groups based on convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire, St George’s Respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ), and the Multidimensional Fatigue inventory (MFI). The QoL and fatigue in both groups were initially measured through interviews. For three consecutive days, patients in the experimental group received three 30-45-min face-to-face training sessions. The pulmonary rehabilitation program was conducted on patients’ bedsides and included theoretical and practical dimensions. Additionally, after necessary coordination with the patients and their families, a summary session was held at patients’ homes. The control group received no training, except for routine care. At the end of the eighth week, the researchers made telephone contact with the two groups (patients or their families) and visited them at their home to complete the SGRQ and MFI. Data were analyzed using SPSS and descriptive and analytical tests (independent t-test, paired t-test, and chi-squared test) at the significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The mean score of changes in QoL was 21.75 ± 7.06 in the experimental group and -1.93 ± 4.70 in the control group. The results of the paired t-test indicated that the mean score of QoL in the experimental group in the post-test was significantly different compared with the baseline (P = 0.001). Moreover, the mean score of changes in fatigue was 35.65 ± 7.12 in the experimental group and 3.25 ± 144 in the control group. In this regard, the paired t-test results showed that the mean fatigue score of patients in the experimental group in the post-test was significantly different compared with the baseline (P = 0.001). Conclusions: Pulmonary rehabilitation program reduced fatigue and improved QoL in patients with COPD. Therefore, it is suggested to consider this program in the care plan of these people.