Abstract
BACKGROUND: Individuals with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) should engage in regular exercise, emphasizing the importance of home-based practices. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effects of home follow-up, counselling and exercise training through telecounselling on hospital readmissions and the quality of life of individuals with COPD. METHODS: This was a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. Individuals in the intervention group were given breathing exercise training and following the training, the patients received weekly exercise programmes. It was added as a control tally on the back page of the training booklet, and a phone call was made to the patients once a week for 12 weeks. No intervention was applied to the control group patients during the 12 weeks. The research report was structured according to CONSORT. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest difference averages of the SF 36 Quality of Life Scale and the number of hospital readmissions of individuals with COPD in the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was determined that exercise training and 12-week teleconsultancy and home-based monitoring service applied to the intervention group patients increased the quality of life of individuals with COPD and reduced hospital readmissions.