Barriers and enablers of attendance to a virtual pulmonary rehabilitation programme

Background: SARS-CoV-2 had disrupted all face-to-face pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) services, and alternative ways of PR delivery were developed. British Thoracic guidelines issued in July 2020 proposed PR to be offered remotely when face to face delivery is not possible during the period of covid-19. We investigated patients’ barriers and enablers to use internet resources in order to attend a remote PR programme, delivered over video conferencing software. Methods: Consecutive patients eligible for PR programme completed a structured survey as part of the initial PR assessment. Interview questions included demographics, access and capacity to use virtual resources, and preference over face-to-face or virtual PR. Results: 63/88 (71%) patients consented to participate to the survey. 46 (73%)>60- year-old ;29 (46%) female. 35 (56%) patients were likely or highly likely to use virtual resources to manage health problems. 43 (68%) patients agreed to participant in virtual PR over face-to-face PR. Main barriers to virtual PR were 40(63%) concerned about technical skills, 37 (58%) reported lack of facilities internet or equipment and 14 (22%) reported access only via relative. Conclusion: Virtual resources can complement traditional models of care in PR though care should be taken to ensure equal opportunities of access to participation in a virtual format over different patient groups. Further studies should investigate the predictors of participation and completion of virtual PR.