The British Thoracic Society (BTS) has been at the forefront of the production of guidelines for best clinical practice in respiratory medicine since the Society was established over 25 years ago. Guideline production methodology has evolved considerably in recent years and a manual setting out the detailed policy for the production of BTS guidelines was approved in July 2010 and is updated annually (1). BTS guidelines received NICE Accreditation in 2011.A statement on quality standards based on each BTS guideline is a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of a guideline’s recommendations.A quality standard is a set of specific, concise statements that:
- Act as markers of high-quality, cost-effective patient care across a pathway or clinical area, covering treatment or prevention.
- Are derived from the best available evidence.
NICE quality standards were used as a model for the development of the BTS quality standards and the NICE Quality Standards Process Guide was used to assist (2).This document contains the BTS Quality Standards for Pulmonary Rehabilitation in adults with chronic respiratory disease and applies to both primary and secondary care.The BTS Guideline on Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Adults has recently been published (http://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/) (3). The rationale for these quality standards is drawn from evidence and recommendations summarised in these guidelines.The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide commissioners, healthcare professionals, planners and patients with a guide to standards of care which should be met for pulmonary rehabilitation programmes in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice.BTS quality standards are intended for:
- Healthcare professionals to allow decisions to be made about care based on the latest evidence and best practice.
- People with chronic respiratory disease and their families and carers, to enable understanding of what services they should expect from their health and social care provider.
- Service providers to be able to quickly and easily examine the clinical performance of their organisation and assess the standards of care they provide.
- Commissioners so that they can be confident that the services they are purchasing are high quality and cost effective.
