Key result
Only 29% of surveyed physicians in Saudi Arabia had referred COPD patients to pulmonary rehabilitation, with referral rates significantly differing by specialty (p=0.011).
Why the study?
This study aimed to assess physicians' attitudes toward delivering pulmonary rehabilitation to COPD patients and identify factors and barriers that might influence referral decisions.
Cross-Sectional (n=502)
p-value: p=0.011
There is a low referral rate for pulmonary rehabilitation among physicians in Saudi Arabia, primarily driven by a lack of available centers and trained staff.
Low referral rates signal access barriers in COPD care; leaves open whether expanding centers improves uptake in observational settings.
This study aimed to assess physicians’ attitudes toward delivering pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and identify factors and barriers that might influence referral decisions. Between September 2021 and January 2022, a cross-sectional online survey was distributed to all physicians in Saudi Arabia. A total of 502 physicians completed the online survey, of which 62.0% (n = 312) were male. General physicians accounted for 51.2%, while internal-medicine specialists and pulmonologists accounted for 26.9% and 6.6%, respectively. Only 146 (29%) physicians had referred COPD patients to a PR program. The difference in referral rates between all specialties (p = 0.011) was statistically significant. Physicians with more years of experience were more likely to refer COPD patients to PR (p < 0.001). Moreover, a home-based PR program was preferred by 379 physicians (75.5%), and 448 (89.2%) perceived smoking cessation as an essential component of PR. Availability of PR centers (69%) was the most common barrier for not referring patients to PR. The overall referral rate was low among all physicians, owing to a lack of PR centers and trained staff. Home-based delivery was the preferred method of delivering PR, with smoking cessation as an essential component.
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Aldhahir et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Physicians' attitudes toward pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD (n=502). Physician specialty and experience was evaluated on Referral of COPD patients to a pulmonary rehabilitation program (p=0.011). Only 29% of surveyed physicians in Saudi Arabia had referred COPD patients to pulmonary rehabilitation, with referral rates significantly differing by specialty (p=0.011).
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