Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41737615›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2026

Pulmonary rehabilitation for pulmonary hypertension in high-altitude areas: a mixed-methods study of medical staff's perspectives.

Wenrui Li, Yu Zheng, Meng Fan, Yan Sun, Xiuying Li, Zhenfeng Zhao, Xiaozhou Wang, Yaping Zeng, Mingwei Chen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Wenrui Li *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yu Zheng *Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Meng FanDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Yan SunDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
Xiuying LiDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qinghai Special Hospital of Provincial Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Zhenfeng ZhaoDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qinghai Special Hospital of Provincial Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Xiaozhou WangDepartment of Hypertension, Qinghai Special Hospital of Provincial Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Yaping ZengDepartment of Coronary Heart Disease, Qinghai Special Hospital of Provincial Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Mingwei ChenDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: In high-altitude areas, while pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recognized as an effective intervention for enhancing exercise tolerance and reducing breathlessness, delivering these programs to patients living at high altitudes presents unique, environment-specific challenges. This study aimed to systematically investigate the current status, barriers, and optimization pathways for PR in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in high-altitude areas, from the perspective of medical staff. Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed, comprising a questionnaire survey of 326 medical staff and semi-structured interviews with 16 staff members from three tertiary hospitals in Xining, Qinghai Province. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative results revealed that only 62.58% of participants reported the implementation of PR in their departments. While 55.39% indicated that they adjusted the content of PR according to the high-altitude environment. Major barriers identified included insufficient awareness among patients and family members (90.80%), lack of high-altitude PR guidelines (88.04%), and shortage of healthcare human resources (87.42%). Optimization suggestions focused on developing high-altitude PR guidelines (86.50%), increasing in rehabilitation resources (82.82%), and improvement of patients' compliance (78.22%). Qualitative findings identified three core themes: current status of PR and effects, barriers to implementing PR, and optimization suggestions, with 13 subthemes. The quantitative and qualitative findings corroborated each other, indicating insufficient clinical penetration, a lack of standardization, and intertwined multi-level barriers for PR in high-altitude areas. Optimization needs were highly concentrated on guideline development, resource supplementation, technology empowerment, and policy support. Conclusion: Pulmonary rehabilitation for PH in high-altitude areas exhibits low adoption rates and poor standardization based on medical staff reports, facing a complex barrier system. There is a need to establish an integrated solution centered on high-altitude guidelines, supported by digital technology, and grounded in policy guarantees to facilitate a shift from the current fragmented, experience-based practice toward standardized and systematic services.

Indexed as

AltitudeAttitude of Health PersonnelHypertension, PulmonaryAdultChinaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSurveys and Questionnaireshigh altitudemedical staffmixed-methods studypulmonary hypertensionpulmonary rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41737615
PMCPMC12926409

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