Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Exercise Physiology: Evidence, Implementation, and Future Directions

This chapter reviews the scientific basis and clinical evidence for pulmonary rehabilitation as an essential component of the integrated management of chronic respiratory diseases, with particular attention to its impact on exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, and hospital readmission rates in COPD and other respiratory conditions. It addresses current barriers to implementation, models of supervised and home-based rehabilitation delivery, and the growing role of digital health technologies in extending access to rehabilitative services.