From Waitlists to Wellness - Streamlining Pulmonary Rehab for Faster, Smarter Access

Overview

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a cornerstone intervention for individuals living with chronic respiratory disease - yet access remains limited by long waitlists, resource constraints, and increasing patient complexity. This course explores how operational design and system-level decision-making can be leveraged to expand access to high-quality pulmonary rehab without compromising clinical standards.

Delivered by an evidence-informed clinician working at the front lines of pulmonary rehabilitation, this course bridges the gap between guidelines, real-world implementation, and operational feasibility. Grounded in the Canadian Thoracic Society’s 14 quality indicators for PR, the presentation focuses on outpatient, group-based pulmonary rehab and examines how programs can scale responsibly within complex healthcare environments.

Participants will gain practical insights into patient complexity, administrative and clinical constraints, and alternative service delivery models - empowering them to make informed decisions about how pulmonary rehab is delivered within their own settings.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe challenges of providing pulmonary rehabilitation to complex patients in an outpatient setting.
2. Apply strategies to scale clinical support to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation.
3. Examine clinical appropriateness of pulmonary rehabilitation and adjacent programs.

Audience

This course is designed for:

• Physiotherapists working in cardiorespiratory or pulmonary rehabilitation

• Pulmonary rehab program leads and coordinators

• Allied health professionals involved in chronic disease management

• Healthcare administrators and clinical managers

• Clinicians involved in outpatient, group-based rehab program design or delivery

Why This Course Matters

Despite strong evidence supporting pulmonary rehabilitation, many eligible patients never access care. Long waitlists, limited staffing, and rigid service models often prevent programs from meeting community needs.

This course reframes pulmonary rehab not just as a clinical intervention, but as a system that must be intentionally designed. By focusing on operational strategy alongside clinical evidence, participants will better understand:

• Why access remains limited despite clear guidelines

• How scaling services requires thoughtful trade-offs

• Where alternative access points within the healthcare system may exist

For clinicians and leaders seeking to improve equity, efficiency, and outcomes in pulmonary rehab, this course offers a pragmatic, real-world perspective grounded in everyday practice.

About the Presenter

Lauren Singh, PT

Lauren Singh is a physiotherapist and former clinical lead of Alberta Health Services' Pulmonary Rehabilitation team in Calgary. She is the past chair of the Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals and currently serves as vice-chair of the Canadian Thoracic Society’s COPD Steering Committee. Lauren led the rapid transition of pulmonary rehabilitation to a virtual model at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and was the recipient of Physiotherapy Alberta’s Excellence in Innovation Award for spearheading a major redesign of pulmonary rehab services to improve access and efficiency.

With a strong clinical foundation and a passion for system-level change, she focuses on operationalizing care pathways that get patients the right care, sooner. Lauren is currently completing her MBA at Queen’s University to further advance her impact at the intersection of clinical care, leadership, and health system transformation.