Telerehabilitation in Patients With Bronchiectasis

Effectiveness of a 12-week Telerehabilitation Training in Patients With Bronchiectasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Home-based telerehabilitation (TR) has demonstrated benefits comparable to conventional rehabilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. However, TR has not been thoroughly investigated in patients with bronchiectasis, despite evidence suggesting improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life.

Aims: To evaluate the effects of TR on functional capacity, quality of life, and inflammatory biomarkers, as well as its safety in patients with bronchiectasis.

Study design: Single-center randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group design.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with bronchiectasis will be recruited from the Surgical Medical Unit for Respiratory Diseases at Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group receiving usual care, and a TR group undergoing supervised physical training for 12 weeks, three times per week. Outcome measures will include the 6-minute walk test, quality-of-life questionnaires, pulmonary function tests, symptom assessment, and adverse event recording, as well as sputum microbiology and analysis of inflammatory biomarkers. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and at the end of the intervention.

Expected results: A 12-week TR program is expected to significantly improve exercise capacity and quality of life in the intervention group. Additionally, this study may contribute to the development of future clinical guidelines regarding the use of TR in patients with bronchiectasis.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Bronchiectasis; Telerehabilitation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: telerehabilitation

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Sevilla
    • Seville, Sevilla, Spain, 41013
      • Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocio

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Bronchiectasis diagnosed by high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the chest.
• Clinically stable patients (without hospitalizations, infection or changes in pharmacological treatment in the last month of the study beginning).
• Both gender
• Non smokers.
• Internet connection available.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to give informed consent to participate
• Less of 18 years
• With other lung related diseases (asthma, COPD and cystic fibrosis)
• Decompensated cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neuromuscular or musculoskeletal that impede the realization of the protocol.
• Mental disorders that prevent the adequate participation in the tele-rehabilitation program.
• Simultaneous participation in another clinical trial.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Usual care group; Standard care for exacerbation and follow-up without rehabilitation.
Experimental: Exercise group; Telerehabilitation: 12 weeks of supervised exercise interventions.	Other: telerehabilitation; 3 days per week: supervised resistance training that includes upper and lower limb and core exercises, initially using with low weights, performed in 2 sets with 10 repetitions, with progressive weekly increases depending on symptoms. 4 days per week: endurance training. Patients will walk on days when they do not perform strength training, for at least 30 minutes, with the duration gradually increased each month depending on their symptoms.; Other Names: physical activity

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
6-minute walk distance	Patients walk through a 30-meter corridor faster than they can for 6 minutes	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The quality of life	ST Georges respiratory questionnaire COPD assessment test. Scores range from 0 to 100, where 0 represents the best possible health (no limitations) and 100 the worst health status.	Baseline, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Pulmonary function tests	pulmonary function tests (FEV1, FVC)	Baseline and after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program.
Respiratory Muscle Strength	Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP).	Baseline and after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program.
Exahled Nitric Oxide Fraction (FeNO)	Exahled Nitric Oxide Fraction (FeNO)	Baseline and after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program.
Sputum microbiology	The presence of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa through microbiological analysis of sputum	Baseline, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Biological markers of Biological markers of inflammation	PCR, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α levels.	Baseline and after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program.
Dyspnoea	Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale. Minimum value (Grade 0): Absence of dyspnea. Maximum value (Grade 4): Severe dyspnea.	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Bronchiectasis severity	The E-FACED questionnaire. Scores range from 0 to 9, where a score of 0-3 indicates mild severity, 4-6 indicates moderate severity, and ≥ 7 indicates severe disease.	Baseline and after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program.
Change from baseline in respiratory symptoms and adverse events.	Change from baseline in respiratory symptoms and adverse events.	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Blood pressure	Measurement of blood pressure using a sphygmomanometer. Blood Pressure Ranges in Adults: Normal: Less than 120/80 mmHg. Elevated: 120-129 / < 80 mmHg. Hypertension Grade 1: 130-139 / 80-89 mmHg. Hypertension Grade 2: ≥ 140 / ≥ 90 mmHg.	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Heart rate	The heart rate value recorded by the sphygmomanometer will be documented.	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Oxygen saturation (SpO2)	Oxygen saturation is measured using a pulse oximeter. Values between 95% and 100% are considered normal. Values below 90% are considered hypoxemia. Normal values range between 95% and 100%.	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Exacerbation	Exacerbation rate	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.
Telerehabilitation adherence	Number of sessions completed by participants who take part in the rehabilitation program and training parameters registration	Baseline, week 6, after 12 weeks of telerehabilitation program, and at 3 and 6 months after completing the telerehabilitation program.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hospitales Universitarios Virgen del Rocío

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2031
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2032

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 15, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Inflammation; Quality of life; Telerehabilitation; Bronchiectasis
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Bronchial Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Inflammation; Bronchiectasis; Health Services Administration; Delivery of Health Care; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Therapeutics; Patient Care; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services; Rehabilitation; Aftercare; Continuity of Patient Care; Telemedicine; Patient Care Management; Exercise; Telerehabilitation
• Other Study ID Numbers: TRH-BQ

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No