Methods and systems that incorporate automated or manual control of ventilation and kinetic rotation therapy are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, an artificial ventilator is used to artificially ventilate one of the patients lungs, the status of the artificially ventilated lung is determined by measuring one or more ventilation status measures, and one or more of the ventilation status measures is used to provide feedback for controlling the positioning of the patient. In some exemplary embodiments, the feedback is used for automated control of the positioning of the patient, while in other exemplary embodiments, the feedback is used as guidance for manual control of the positioning of the patient.