Changes in knowledge, skills, and confidence following a training program for primary care physiotherapists and exercise physiologists in pulmonary rehabilitation: a pre-post study.

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recommended for people with chronic respiratory diseases, but access is limited. Delivering PR in primary care may overcome these barriers; however, physiotherapists and Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEPs) report limited PR experience. Aim: to investigate the changes in knowledge, skills, and confidence following an education program for physiotherapists and AEPs in PR delivery in primary care. Primary care physiotherapists or AEPs undertook an education program of 6-8 hours online training and a half-day face-to-face workshop. 17 clinicians completed the training. Median (IQR) knowledge scores increased from 7 (6,8) at baseline to 10 (9,11) post-training (p < 0.001; Hedges' g = 1.52, 95% CI 0.81 to 2.21). Improvements in self-rated knowledge, skills, and confidence were observed across all domains and sustained at 3 months. In conclusion, a short education program improved PR knowledge, skills, and confidence in primary care clinicians. Educating primary care clinicians in PR is essential to build the workforce to provide PR in this setting and improve accessibility.