Occupational therapy, nutritional modulation and psychological support during pulmonary rehabilitation

Reduced occupational performance, malnutrition and psychological distress are common in chronic respiratory disease and act as barriers to achieving and maintaining optimal outcomes of PR. Evidence-based interventions within the areas of occupational therapy, nutritional modulation and psychological support can be included in PR programmes with the purpose of targeting such issues. However, such interventions are represented to a lesser degree than, for example, exercise interventions in PR programmes worldwide. Moreover, while elaborate guidelines for the exercise component of PR exist, relatively little attention has been given to describing other interventional components. Developing official guidelines for occupational therapy, nutritional modulation and psychological support in PR is therefore an important task for its future organisation with the purpose of providing optimal multidisciplinary care.