HTA Details
Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Ontario
- Publication date
-
2015-March-01
- Status
- Final
- Topic Area
- Respiratory
- Recommendation
-
Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee Recommendations:
The Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee reaffirms the recommendations it made in 2012, namely:
- Ongoing access to existing pulmonary rehabilitation for the management of moderate to severe stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and
- The use of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients following an acute exacerbation (within one month of hospital discharge).
Further, based on a field evaluation study, the committee recommends increased availability of resources for pulmonary rehabilitation following discharge for patients who have had an acute exacerbation of COPD.
- Ministry Response
-
The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is currently reviewing this recommendation.
-
To read the full OHTAC Recommendation Report for this topic, contact our Health Innovation team using the contact form to request a digital copy.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a serious lung disease that substantially reduces life expectancy and quality of life. Symptoms of this disease include shortness of breath, a long-lasting cough, a cough with mucus, wheezing and fatigue. In Canada, almost all cases of COPD are caused by smoking cigarettes.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a treatment program tailored for people with COPD who have difficulty breathing even though they take medication. The program provides exercise training and education about living with the disease. It helps patients reduce flare-ups (exacerbations) and have the best possible quality of life.
There are concerns that pulmonary rehabilitation is underused, although it is considered the standard of care for patients with moderate to severe chronic lung disease. About 380,000 people living with COPD in Ontario could potentially benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation.
Supporting Documents
Last Updated: February 24, 2026
