Resources for Patients

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

The primary goal of pulmonary rehabilitation is to help patients experiencing lung problems feel better and implement lifestyle changes. Click here to find a pulmonary rehabilitation program near you by searching the AACVPR Program Directory. Typical pulmonary rehabilitation programs include:

Monitored and supervised exercises
Education about your pulmonary condition, control of symptoms, medications, and oxygen
Assistance with smoking cessation
Stress reduction and/or management techniques sessions
Nutritional guidance

Those who benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation include those with a history of:

COPD (Emphysema or chronic bronchitis)
Bronchiectasis
Sarcoidosis
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Interstitial lung disease
Lung cancer and lung cancer surgery
Lung volume reduction surgery
Pre and post lung transplantation
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

COPD-SOS: New National Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness of COPD and Sound the Alarm on the Urgent Need for Early Diagnosis

An estimated 30 million Americans have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and almost half don't even know it. The Dorney Koppel Foundation, the COPD Foundation, the American Respiratory Care Foundation, FCB Health New York, and other concerned organizations have come together as one to create “COPD-SOS” – a public service campaign that will air on major broadcast and cable networks including ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN throughout Summer 2021. The goal of the campaign is to raise awarenes, find the “missing millions” who unknowingly have CODP and encourage them to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as demand Congress to provide appropriate funding for COPD research.

In addition to airing public service announcements, the COPD-SOS campaign asks for the general public to take action:

Self -Assessment: Complete this 8-question self-assessment.
Outreach: Share the COPD-SOS site, so we can work together to find the millions who have COPD but do not yet know it.
Spending: Help bring nationwide attention to the community ignored, so those who have COPD can receive the research funding that they deserve. This campaign is collecting collecting 156,979 signatures — one for every person we lost in 2019 to chronic lower respiratory diseases like COPD — to show Congress that someone’s paying attention. Click here to sign the petition.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Toolkit

AACVPR and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), with support from Boehringer Ingelheim, have partnered to provide you with a brand new, FREE resource that will equip PR specialists and PF patients with the tools they need to rehab from the comfort of their own homes. PR has been found to improve the physical function, breathlessness (dyspnea), mood and quality of life in persons with IPF and other types of pulmonary fibrosis.

This resource created by expert members of the PR community and is designed to be a tool for patients who are unable to attend an in-person program.

Modules Include: