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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a disease characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation, due to airway and/ or alveolar alterations: respiratory rehabilitation is the most effective form of therapeutic intervention capable of reducing the symptom of dyspnea and improving physical performance and quality of life. However, it is not possible to draw up a personalized rehabilitation plan without first a careful evaluation of the functional characteristics of the individual patient, in order to tailor the treatment to the individual. In this article, we propose assessment tests to measure the patient's level of exercise tolerance in the field and, in addition, to define the specific components of the rehabilitation program in the light of the clinical evaluation, instrumental examinations and results achieved on the field tests. Two clinical cases are presented here by way of example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic disease that constitutes an important public health problem, being one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Increasing evidence in the literature shows the effectiveness of respiratory rehabilitation in improving dyspnea, health status and exercise tolerance. A correct definition of the individual rehabilitation plan and of the individual rehabilitation program is, therefore, of fundamental importance in the diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of these patients. The rehabilitation medical record is the document that collects all these assessments and guides health professionals in the process of assessment, planning of treatment, intervention and verification of the functional goals achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]