Pulmonary rehabilitation.

Any COPD patient with symptoms is a candidate for pulmonary rehabilitation. A careful assessment of the individual to determine the patient's precise disease process and needs is essential to outlining an appropriate treatment program. Following the sequence described in the ATS Statement on Pulmonary Rehabilitation included in the appendix to this article provides the best potential for successfully returning the patient to the highest level of function possible. An increase in the availability of pulmonary rehabilitation programs should allow more COPD patients to participate in this process, resulting in an enhanced ability to carry out daily activities, an improved quality of life, and a reduction in the long-term costs of caring for such individuals.