Impact of Respiratory Muscle Strength Training Program on Hospital Readmissions in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

The 30-day hospital readmission rate at the intervention site decreased from 14.4% to 7.3% following implementation of an inpatient RMST program.

• The absolute risk reduction was 7.1 percentage points.
• The relative risk reduction was 49.3%.
• The pre-intervention comparison year was 2019 and the intervention year was 2022.
• The within-site comparison did not reach statistical significance.
• Two-proportion z tests and effect size calculations were used to assess differences.

Readmission rates at the intervention hospital in 2022 were significantly lower than those at the control hospital in the same year.

• A comparable hospital within the same health system that did not implement RMST served as the control site.
• The between-site comparison for 2022 reached statistical significance, unlike the within-site historical comparison.
• Two-proportion z tests were used for this comparison.

A total of 66 patients completed the in-hospital RMST training program with no adverse events reported.

• The intervention combined both inspiratory and expiratory respiratory muscle strength training.
• The program was described as 'well tolerated' by participants.
• The program was implemented over a one-year pilot period in 2022 at a rural acute care hospital.
• Adults admitted with COPD exacerbations were included.

An SLP-led inpatient RMST program for COPD patients was found to be feasible and cost-effective in a rural acute care setting.

• Feasibility and cost outcomes were analyzed descriptively.
• No adverse events were reported during the program.
• The program was led by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), representing an interdisciplinary approach.
• The rural setting was specifically noted as a relevant context for the findings.

The study was a retrospective pilot with a historical control design, limiting the ability to draw causal conclusions.

• The study used a retrospective analysis of a year-long pilot program.
• A historical pre-intervention year (2019) served as the within-site comparator, introducing potential confounding from intervening years.
• The authors acknowledged that 'causal conclusions cannot be drawn' given the design.
• The authors recommend further prospective investigation to confirm findings.