Minimum standards for physical therapists providing rehabilitation care for people with chronic respiratory diseases in Japan: An e-Delphi study

Rehabilitation interventions, including structured pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs, can improve symptoms, exercise tolerance, and quality of life for people with chronic respiratory diseases.However, in Japan, physical therapists provide rehabilitation care across care pathways both within and outside formal PR programs, and consensus-based minimum standards for physical therapists' essential knowledge and skills have not yet been clearly articulated.This study aimed to establish expert professional development, help guide policy-making and service planning by clarifying baseline expectations across care settings, and provide a reference point for future cross-national comparisons following contextual adaptation.Future research should evaluate implementation feasibility in diverse healthcare settings and support periodic review and updating of the standards as clinical evidence and service contexts evolve.