Capacity building for developing Pulmonary Rehabilitation services in India through RECHARGE-IPCRG ‘Teach the Teacher’ course

Clinical Research Results Abstract Research Idea Abstract Service Development & Evaluation Abstract Aim: Capacity building of service providers and referrers of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) in Pune, India, through ‘Teach the Teacher’ (TtT) Tier 1 online workshop organized by NIHR Global RECHARGE and IPCRG.Brief outline of context/Situation Analysis: PR is not well established in India owing to the lack of service availability and awareness among medical staff (MS). PR evolved in high-income countries where healthcare delivery infrastructure is well established. There is a sense of apprehension among the MS in developing these services in India.Brief description of change: For improving referral of PR services in India, MS needs to be sensitized to the concepts and structure of PR, which can then be locally contextualized[1].Strategy for change: RECHARGE-IPCRG TtT organized an online workshop with 4x4-hour learning schedule for clinical practitioners and physiotherapists.Impact of changes: With the help of expert teachers and experts in PR, a strategic local action plan for PR capacity building in India was conceptualized.Lessons learnt: The capacity building in India would be based on a multi-tier model (Fig.1) where the 1st tier of teachers (trained in TtT) would train more faculty members in India. This would be targeted towards frontline medical staff like pulmonologists, general physicians, physiotherapists and respiratory therapists. Online, hybrid or in-person workshops will be conducted for the next tiers. We will apply for Continued Medical Education credits.Messages for others: There is a need to involve local stakeholders to understand the regional facilitators and barriers in building PR capacity. The plan should be based on the consideration for variations in healthcare systems. Declaration of Interest This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (17/63/20) using UK aid from the UK Government to support global health research. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the UK Department of Health and Social Care. References and Clinical Trial Registry Information References:1. Singh SJ, G Halpin DM, Salvi S, et al. Exercise and pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic lung disease in LMICs: challenges and opportunities. Lancet Respir 2019;7:1002–4. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(19)30364-9