Easier, local pulmonary rehab and social support for people with COPD in low-resource clinics
Official title: Rehabilitation in Safety-Net Environments (RISE) for COPD
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11507377 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares a 10-week community pulmonary rehabilitation program alone, the same program plus help with social needs, and usual care for people with moderate-to-severe COPD to see which helps people stick with rehab and feel better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $81,746 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL161049-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11507377 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with moderate-to-severe COPD who receive care in safety-net or low-income settings and can attend community-based sessions are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with only mild COPD, those already enrolled in a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program, or those unable to travel to in-person community sessions may not get benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you have moderate-to-severe COPD and receive care in a safety-net or low-resource clinic, you could be randomly assigned to one of three groups: the COPD Wellness 10-week community program, COPD Wellness plus a Health Advocate to help with social needs (like transportation, food, or benefits), or usual care. The COPD Wellness program includes exercise training, self-management education, and peer social support delivered in community settings. The Health Advocate component is adapted to address barriers that make it hard for people to attend and benefit from rehabilitation. Researchers will compare attendance, physical function, and healthcare use across the groups to see which approach works best for this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help more people with COPD complete rehab, improve daily function, and reduce hospital visits.
How similar studies have gone: Pulmonary rehabilitation is well established to help people with COPD, but pairing it with targeted social-needs advocacy is a newer approach with limited prior testing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thakur, Neeta — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Thakur, Neeta
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.