Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyse participants' perceptions of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme, which combined occupational therapy with physical therapy. Semi‐structured interviews were used to collect data from four adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who attended an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation programme in New York City. Features of the occupational therapy programme reported to be valuable were biofeedback and clinician support. Participants reported more control of dyspnoea, improved mental health and confidence in performing daily activities, less fatigue, more physically active lifestyles and hope for the future. Limitations of the study were that participants were interviewed only once and themes were not verified with participants. The study results also cannot be generalized. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy in promoting self‐management and coping skills and restoring occupational performance in adults with COPD. Participants' responses provide additional support for developing cognitive‐behavioural protocols in occupational therapy and measuring their effectiveness in relieving anxiety symptoms and promoting dyspnoea management. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.