PURPOSE: To assess the trends in pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) utilization and factors
associated with its use in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
METHODS: We examined data for Medicare beneficiaries with COPD who received PR from
January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2012. Persons with COPD were identified by (1)≥ 2
outpatient visits> 30 days apart within 1 year with an encounter diagnosis of COPD or (2) an
acute care hospitalization with COPD as the primary diagnosis or a primary diagnosis of …

Rationale: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is very effective in patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) for improving exercise tolerance and functional capacity,
alleviating dyspnea, and improving respiratory-quality of life. Access to and utilization of PR
remains poor. Objective: To assess the trends in PR utilization and factors associated with its
use in adults with COPD. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the utilization of PR in
adults with COPD using a 20% Medicare beneficiary population from January 1, 2013, to …