Peer support and patient stories to help people join pulmonary rehab
Official title: Improving Participation in Pulmonary Rehabilitation through Peer-Support and Storytelling
Funded at Baystate Medical Center, INC. · NIH-11179126 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project sees whether pairing adults with COPD with trained peers and sharing real patient stories helps them start and stay in pulmonary rehabilitation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baystate Medical Center, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Springfield, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $681,799 |
| NIH project number | 5R33HL157847-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11179126 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with COPD who have been referred to pulmonary rehabilitation or who recently had an exacerbation are the best candidates for this project.
✕Less likely to help
People without COPD, those who are too frail or have severe cognitive impairment to take part in rehab, or those without reliable phone/internet access may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you have COPD and have been offered pulmonary rehab, this project may pair you with a trained peer who completed rehab and share short videos of other patients' experiences, with most contacts by phone or video. You would receive peer support and storytelling materials designed to encourage enrollment and ongoing attendance in pulmonary rehabilitation. The team will compare different ways of delivering peer support and stories and track who begins and completes rehab, along with symptoms and health care use. Participation may include brief surveys, phone check-ins, and watching or discussing recorded stories.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more people with COPD may start and finish pulmonary rehab, which could ease breathlessness, improve quality of life, and reduce emergency visits and hospital stays.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show telephonic peer support and storytelling can be acceptable and helpful in chronic disease care and for blood pressure control, but combining them specifically to boost pulmonary rehab participation is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Baystate Medical Center, INC.
Springfield, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lindenauer, Peter Kyle — Baystate Medical Center, INC.
- Study coordinator: Lindenauer, Peter Kyle
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after tuberculosis
A program of guided exercise and breathing training to help adults who have recovered from TB breathe better and feel healthier.
-
Pulmonary rehab to reduce breathing troubles after TB
A program of pulmonary rehabilitation is being studied to help adults who have completed TB treatment avoid ongoing lung problems and improve daily breathing.
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Help for pulmonary rehab with peer support and patient stories
This project will try phone-based peer support and short personal-story videos to help adults with COPD start and stay in pulmonary rehabilitation.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to reduce breathing problems after TB
A program of supervised breathing and exercise therapy is tested to see if it helps people who have recovered from tuberculosis breathe better and feel better.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to prevent post-TB lung problems
This project offers and compares two home-based breathing and exercise programs for adults with TB to help prevent long-term lung problems after treatment.
-
Pulmonary rehabilitation to prevent lung problems after tuberculosis
Two home-based breathing and exercise programs are offered to adults being treated for tuberculosis to help protect lung health after treatment.
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.