Table 2.

Summary of studies purposes, technology used, samples, designs, provided services, variables, and findings

Author (s), date, location	Level of evidence	Purpose of the study	Technology used	Sample size	Design	Provided service	Variables	Findings
Burkow et al. 2013, Norway	IV	Assess patients’ acceptability of an Internet-enabled program for comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program	A prototype Internet-connected system. User’s interface at home consisted of user’s own TV connected to a computer, the residential patient device, and remote control	5 participants	A trial with an Internet-enabled program based on home groups for comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation	Education sessions about COPD and long-term oxygen treatment, group exercising, and individual consultation	Patient acceptability	The Internet-enabled program for home-based groups in pulmonary rehabilitation and diabetes education were generally well accepted by the participantss
Holland et al. 2013, Australia	IV	Evaluate safety and establish the feasibility and acceptability of real-time, home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program	A cycle ergo meter, a pulse oximeter, and a tablet computer, and videoconferencing video collaboration software (VSee). The tablet was connected to Internet through a wireless 3G modem	8 participants	Patients performed supervised aerobic training twice a week for 8 weeks, with a physiotherapist attending each class through videoconferencing from separate locations	Cycling exercise training supervised by a physiotherapist and education about self-management of COPD	Adverse events, feasibility, and acceptability. Clinical outcomes: Functional exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, and dyspnea improvement	A simple model of telerehabilitation using readily available equipment is safe and feasible in patients with COPD
Nield and Hoo 2012, USA	II	Determine the feasibility and efficacy of using real-time interactive voice and video telehealth for teaching PLB for patients with CORD	A laptop computer, headphone, and pulse oximeter. A free web-based software program (Skype) enabled synchronous audiovisual communication through Internet	22 participants. Nine patients in the intervention group	A randomized control study with repeated measures to compare a 1-time PLB education session to a PLB education plus a 4-week telehealth PLB program	One component of a dyspnea self-management program PLB	Social support and dyspnea level	Real-time interactive voice and video telecommunication between health-care providers and the chronically ill patients is feasible, and can improve social support, access to health care, and delivery of effective health education
Paneroni et al. 2015, Italy	III	Explore the feasibility, adherence, and satisfaction of a home-based telerehabilitation program	Interactive TV software, oximeter, steps counter, a bicycle, and remote control to interact with the application	18 participants in the intervention group	A multicenter, prospective, controlled, nonrandomized pilot study lasted for a maximum for 40 days	Strength exercise, telemonitored cycle training, educational sessions to promote an appropriate life style and self-management, and video-assistance and phone-calls	V^lking capacity, dyspnea level, and quality of life For the feasibility and adherence: number of adverse effects, number of hospitalization or emergency visits, sessions attended, platform interactions	Telerehabilitation for COPD patients at home is feasible and well accepted by patients Telerehabilitation seems to improve walking capacity, dyspnea, quality of life, and daily physical activity
Tabaket al. (2014), Netherlands	II	Investigate the use of a telerehabilltatlon program and explored the satisfaction of the participants’ with the received care Explore the clinical measures of telerehabilitation compared to the usual care	Activity coach application (three-dimensional-accelerometer with smartphone) for ambulant activity registration and real-time feedback A web portal with a symptom dairy for self-treatment of exacerbations	29 participants. (14 participants in the intervention group)	A randomized controlled trial for 9 months	A web-based exercise program of the web portal, activity coach for ambulant activity registration and improvement, self-management education, and teleconsultation	Treatment days that patients visited the web portal in, satisfaction, number and duration of hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and number of exacerbations	Telerehabilitation for COPD patients at home is feasible and showed high satisfaction among participants. The self-management module was highly used, while the use of the exercise module was critically low
Tousignant, et al. 2012, Canada	IV	Investigate the efficacy of in-home pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD	A telerehabilitation platform consisted Videoconferencing system Liquid crystal display screen Router and modem connecting to the Internet Sensors and external devices Clinician computer and screen display	3 participants	A pre-experimental pilot study with pre-and post-tests with no control group	Cardiopulmonary exercises	Functional exercise capacity, locomotor function and quality of life	Telehealth seems to be a practical way, both clinically and technically, to provide rehabilitation services for patients with CORD
Zanaboni et al. 2013, Norway	IV	Investigate the feasibility of a long-term telerehabilitation service	A treadmill, a pulse oximeter, a tablet computer used to perform videoconferencing and access the project’s website	10 participants	The program was designed as a long-term intervention, with a 2-year follow-up with weekly videoconferencing sessions supervised by the physiotherapist	Exercise training, telemonitoring and education/ self-management	Hospital admission rate, long-term exercise maintenance, adherence to the exercise program, hospital length-of-stay, health care cost, quality of life	Telerehabilitation for COPD patients at home is feasible and it could reduce healthcare utilization