Why Choose Home-Based Virtual Pulmonary Rehab?
Going to a rehab center several times a week can be difficult for many people. That’s why we offer a virtual pulmonary rehab program, developed in collaboration with the leading pulmonologists of Northwest Permanente that lets patients participate from the comfort of their own homes. Our clinical team is led by a pulmonologist and includes respiratory therapists and exercise physiologists who use the latest digital health technologies to keep an eye on your progress and offer ongoing support. It makes pulmonary rehab easier and more accessible for people with lung problems and leads to successful program completion.
Home-based rehabilitation programs encourage patient engagement to help patients self-manage their disease and incorporate incremental changes into their lifestyle to benefit them long term. If you have lung issues and find it tough to go to visit an in-person pulmonary rehabilitation center, a program that offers pulmonary rehab at home might be a great choice for you. Visit our FAQs page to learn more.
For Patients
Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a special program to help people with lung problems breathe better and feel stronger. If you have trouble breathing or have conditions like asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), here’s how it can help you:
Breathing easier
Take control of your health and learn ways to breathe better when you are out of breath
More Strength and Energy
Exercise to make your muscles stronger so you can do more without getting tired quickly.
Less Worry and Anxiety
Take better care of yourself and your overall health to improve your mood.
Manage Your Condition
Become better at taking care of your lung condition and learn when to use your medicines to stay healthy.
Reduce Hospitalizations
Pulmonary rehab can help you avoid trips to the hospital because of your lung problems.
Better Quality of Life
Pulmonary rehab can make your life better. You’ll feel more in control of your health and do more of the things you enjoy.
Support from Others
Meet people facing similar challenges, share your experiences and get help from those that understand you.
Morlen Health uses the latest digital health technologies to be able to offer a 100% virtual, home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program that is more convenient and just as safe and effective as traditional center-based programs.
Talk to your doctor to see if it’s right for you!
About Morlen’s Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
At Morlen Health, we believe that you will gain the most from a pulmonary rehabilitation program that combines individualized 1:1 counseling with seminars and exercise classes conducted in small group settings. This is why we offer a home-based virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program that combines one-on-one visits, group classes, and exercise sessions. Our program is 100% virtual and takes eight weeks to complete. You will learn how to do pulmonary rehab exercises at home when it is convenient for you.
Here’s what you can expect:
-
Getting Ready
Before your first visit with us, we will send you a digital pulse oximeter and help you get it set up. This will help us monitor your exercise and ensure that the way you’re doing your exercises is both safe and effective.
-
Getting to Know You
Your Pulmonary Rehabilitation journey will start with an initial consultation where we will get to know you, your lifestyle, and your overall health. We will want to learn about you and your challenges and answer any questions you may have. We will then work with you to create a pulmonary rehab plan that’s customized just for you so that you can get the most out of our program.
-
One-on-One Virtual Visits
Throughout the program, you’ll have periodic one-on-one check-ins with our experienced respiratory therapists to assess your progress, receive personalized help, and get tailored advice to support your goals.
-
Group Exercises
You’ll join small groups to learn and complete your pulmonary rehab exercises at home safely. Our experts will guide you through exercises to help you breathe better, get stronger, and have more energy.
-
Breathe Better 101 Seminars™
You’ll attend weekly virtual meetings with our experts to learn about managing your lung problems. We’ll talk about things like handling flare-ups, using oxygen, eating right, and managing stress.
For Providers
Is Virtual Pulmonary Rehab Right For Your Patients?
Pulmonary Rehabilitation has long been considered the standard of care for patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD. However, for many patients, going to a traditional center-based program two to three times a week is very difficult if not practically impossible. The maturation of remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies and increasing acceptance of Telehealth has opened the door for Morlen Health to create our home-based, fully virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program to make it much more accessible for patients. The ability to perform RPM is vital to being able to safely provide pulmonary rehabilitation to patients in their homes and is also helpful in providing ongoing support and encouragement.
Morlen Health has partnered with Datos Health, a leader in automated remote care, to develop a remote monitoring program around personalized CareApps to meet the unique needs of patients in pulmonary rehab.
Explore our Clinical Resources page to learn more about our program and how to provide referrals!
Program Structure
Like most pulmonary rehab programs, Morlen Health’s home-based virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program follows a small group format, which we believe promotes accountability and engagement. But unlike most other programs, we also include regular 1:1 visits and leverage digital health technologies to provide additional support that many patients may need to get the most out of our program. Below we provide additional details about the patient experience and structure of our program.
One-on-one Therapy Visits
Patients begin the program with an initial one-on-one meeting with one of our experienced clinicians, followed by two additional individualized check-ins at key points during their journey. These private sessions provide an opportunity to discuss your concerns and receive highly personalized coaching and advice tailored to your needs. One-on-one visits are essential in helping Morlen adjust your treatment plan to ensure it remains optimized as you progress. The balance of the program is group-based, offering collaborative support while still maintaining a focus on your unique goals through these one-on-one engagements.
Breathe Better 101 Seminars
Morlen’s Breathe Better 101 classes are an important part of our virtual pulmonary rehabilitation program. You will meet weekly in a small group with one of Morlen’s experienced clinical leads to discuss topics related to the management of chronic respiratory conditions and receive practical advice on things such as dealing with flareups and exacerbations, oxygen use, diet and exercise, and managing the anxiety and stress associated with respiratory conditions.
Group Exercise Classes
Morlen’s group exercise classes bring together patients struggling with chronic respiratory conditions to safely perform pulmonary rehab exercises at home. These virtual exercise classes are supervised and led by Morlen’s experienced pulmonary rehabilitation staff who will lead you through a variety of exercises to help you breathe more easily, improve your overall strength, and develop more cardiovascular endurance. Typically, each session starts with a series of exercises to practice breathing techniques and strengthen the respiratory muscles. These exercises are then followed by cardio and strength conditioning exercises that are designed to safely improve your strength and endurance, and ultimately gain more independence.
To learn more, visit our patient resources page where you can explore our collection of instructional videos from our Breathe Better 101™ series, peruse exercise guides, and find other useful information.
What Insurances does Morlen Accept?
Morlen Health accepts most insurances including Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
Medicare covers pulmonary rehabilitation, including home-based programs, if you have moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as well as other respiratory conditions. Medicare will pay for up to two 1-hour sessions per day, up to 36 sessions in total. In some cases, coverage may extend to 72 sessions if requested by your doctor.
Medicare also covers pulmonary rehabilitation if you have had COVID-19 and are experiencing ongoing symptoms. Pulmonary rehabilitation may also be covered if you have insurance through your employer, are on Medicaid, or have purchased a private plan.
Clinical Efficacy of Pulmonary Rehab
Pulmonary rehabilitation has been shown to help patients with COPD and other chronic respiratory conditions increase exercise capacity, experience fewer exacerbations, and do more of the things they enjoy. Morlen Health offers an evidence-based at-home program that was developed in collaboration with the leading pulmonologists of Northwest Permanente.
The research shows that pulmonary rehabilitation helps people with COPD stay healthier and reduces hospitalizations and that home-based programs can be as effective as center-based programs.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Adults with Chronic Respiratory Disease An Official American Thoracic Society Clinical Practice Guideline