Jessica Walsh APAM has always had an interest in cardiopulmonary physiotherapy but ‘fell into pulmonary rehabilitation’ after working in the ICU of a UK hospital.

‘They wanted to move me out of ICU, which I thought was where I wanted to be and would be for the rest of my career,’ says Jessica.

‘I went over to a pulmonary rehab (PR) service and that’s where I’ve stayed ever since, both clinically and in research.’

For Jessica, part of the appeal of PR is the length of time she gets to spend with patients.

‘We see our patients twice a week for eight weeks and we build a great rapport with them,’ she says.

‘I love seeing the impact that you can have on these patients.

'The difference you can make to their quality of life and confidence is something that I haven’t gotten from any other areas of my practice.’

Jessica is currently completing her PhD at the University of Sydney, with the help of a scholarship from Lung Foundation Australia and the Better Breathing Foundation.

The PRF Seeding Grant is for one of the studies she will undertake, titled ‘PURE PRIME: Implementing PUlmonary REhabilitation in PRIMary carE’.

‘The project is looking at whether we can delivery PR, an exercise and education program for people with chronic lung conditions, specifically in private physiotherapy and exercise physiology practices,’ says Jessica.

‘We know that PR is highly effective compared to usual care but only five to 10 per cent of people who would benefit from it are actually able to access it and fewer still complete a full eight-week program.’

Current limitations on where PR is available is one of the key reasons that only a small number of patients are able to access it.

‘In Australia, PR is mainly offered in hospitals,’ says Jessica.

‘There are long waiting lists and only so many hospitals offer it so access to the hospital itself can be difficult as well as the practical concerns like parking or even the timing of programs.’

Jessica is conducting a randomised controlled trial of PR in primary care where physiotherapists and accredited exercise physiologists, who have been upskilled in a linked study, will deliver the intervention in their private practices.

Patient participants in the intervention group will complete twice- weekly sessions with trained clinicians, for eight weeks, following Australian and New Zealand PR guidelines.

Patients in the control group will receive usual care from their GP.

‘What we are delivering is close to what you’d find in a hospital setting,’ says Jessica.

‘One difference is group size but there are others we’re interested in exploring. For example, private practices are open after hours so classes could be run in the evening or on weekends.

'There’s more flexibility for patients in private practices, whereas in the hospital setting the gym might only be available to the PR team on certain days and at certain times.’

The PRF Seeding Grant will allow Jessica to recruit participants from groups usually under-represented in research.

‘The PRF money will allow me to recruit patients from diverse cultural, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, who are often excluded from research and so we miss their perspectives,’ she says.

‘It was a huge surprise to receive the grant because I know how competitive they are.

'I feel very privileged and grateful to have that support from the PRF.’

The PRF acknowledges the legacy of Jill Nosworthy’s support of cardiorespiratory research.