Multidisciplinary: Pulmonary rehabilitation programs utilize expertise from various health-care disciplines that is integrated into a comprehensive, cohesive program tailored to the needs of each patient.
Individual: Patients with disabling lung disease require individual assessment of needs, individual attention, and a program designed to meet realistic individual goals.
Attention to physical and social function: To be successful, pulmonary rehabilitation pays attention to psychological, emotional, and social problems as well as physical disability, and helps to optimize medical therapy to improve lung function and exercise tolerance.
The interdisciplinary team of health-care professionals in pulmonary rehabilitation may include physicians; nurses; respiratory, physical, and occupational therapists; psychologists; exercise specialists; and/or others with appropriate expertise. The specific team make-up depends on the resources and expertise available, but usually includes at least one full-time staff member.27