Testing Whether a Referral to a Telehealth Program Helps African-American and Hispanic Adults with COPD Transition from Hospital to Home

What was the research about?Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.It is a common reason for hospital stays.Pulmonary rehabilitation, or rehab, may help patients avoid future hospital stays for COPD.But some patients, including many African-American and Hispanic patients with COPD, have a hard time getting to a clinic for rehab.In this study, the research team wanted to learn if referral to a telehealth rehab program called TelePR helped patients avoid going back to the hospital.Telehealth provides care to patients remotely using phones, videos, or other devices.The team compared patients referred to TelePR with those referred to inperson rehab at a clinic, or usual care.