[Short- and long-term effects of the outpatient medical rehabilitation for patients with asbestosis]

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an outpatient medical rehabilitation (OMR) mainly composed of exercise therapy and sports for patients with asbestosis. Following the model of Hamburg the OMR focuses on keeping up lasting effects.

Methods: In the frame of a pre-experimental study 104 male patients aged 65.7 +/- 5.5 years suffering asbestosis carried out over a period of three weeks 5 times weekly 6 h at a time phase 1 of the OMR consisting of evidence-based contents of the pulmonary rehabilitation. Directly after that further therapeutic applications with the main focus on exercise therapy and sports were applied over a period of 12 weeks one time weekly 3 h at a time (phase 2). After phase 2 the rehabilitation centre led the patients into sports groups near at place of residence (phase 3). The effects of the OMR were evaluated at the beginning (T1), at the end of phase 1 (T2) and phase 2 (T3) as well as 6 (T4) and 18 months (T5) after T3 by means of a suitable assessment.

Results: Compared to T1 physical fitness (6-minute Walk Test, Hand-Force Test, PWC Test) as well as health-related quality of life (SF-36) of the patients were significantly improved in T2. Whereas the parameter "vital capacity" and "forced expiratory volume" showed no change over the period of investigation data of "oxygen partial pressure" was significantly increased, too. These positive effects could be confirmed in T3. 82 patients (79%) were doing sports due to health regularly still 6 and 18 months after T3 and could preserve their health outcome in T4 and T5, while the effects of rehabilitation of the 22 patients breaking off any sporting activities wore off again to and even below starting condition in T1.

Conclusions: In spite of a restrictive pulmonary disease specific exercise therapy and sports are able to mobilize physical reserves of performance and induce an increasing quality of life as well as a higher resilience in activities of daily living. These positive effects could be stabilized persistently by a regular training one time weekly. That way the results emphasize the necessity to put strategies of aftercare into the concept of rehabilitation.