Experience of advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: metasynthesis of qualitative research

Non-opioid medications for the relief of chronic breathlessness: current evidence

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate systematically randomised clinical trials investigating non-opioid medications for the management and treatment of chronic breathlessness. Areas covered: The evidence for the role of benzodiazepines, anxiolytics, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, antihistamines, cannabinoids, nebulized furosemide and herbal-based treatments were critically reviewed. Search of the Clinical Trials Registry (Clinicaltrial.gov) identified ongoing studies expected to generate new data in the near future in several classes of non-opioid medications for their net effect on chronic breathlessness. Expert commentary: Morphine still has the best level of evidence for the symptomatic treatment of chronic breathlessness. Non-opioid treatments for chronic breathlessness are less studied than morphine and morphine-related medications although evidence is emerging in relation to some options. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to recommend non-opioids in the routine treatment of chronic breathlessness. There is a need to find agents, new as well as re-purposed, that can be used as alternative therapies to opioids for chronic breathlessness for people who are unable to tolerate morphine.

"At First I Couldn't Catch My Breath": Process and Strategies for Managing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

In this article, we describe the process and strategies that study participants living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in central Canada utilized to manage and live well with their illness and its associated symptoms. Drawing on interpretive phenomenology, we interviewed eight participants three times, followed by a member checking focus group and individual interviews. We analyzed interview transcripts using detailed line by line analysis. Our findings suggest participants engaged in a challenging process of recognizing that changes had occurred and then coming to terms with these changes by acknowledging the severity of their condition and the resulting limitations. Then, participants drew upon several strategies to minimize feelings of breathlessness, including taking care of themselves, managing risk, and altering behavior. Participants acknowledged the challenges inherent to this process, yet described how they were able to live well with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through their adaptations.

Efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention in patients with advanced COPD: A randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Anxiety is a common comorbidity in patients with advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with major impact on quality of life and associated with increased risk of death. The objective of this randomised controlled trial was to test the efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention versus usual care for reducing symptoms of anxiety in patients with advanced COPD.

METHODS

The trial included 66 participants with advanced COPD and symptoms of anxiety. The primary outcome was anxiety assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) subscale for anxiety (HADS-A). The secondary outcome was mastery assessed by the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ) domain of mastery (CRQ-M). Assessments were performed at baseline and one and three months post-intervention.

RESULTS

The intervention group had a lower post intervention HADS-A score on average, compared with the control group (p = 0.005), indicating a significant effect of the intervention. The average difference between the groups in HADS-A was 2.16 points (CI = [0.62; 3.71]) at one month and 2.32 points (CI = [0.74; 3.89]) at three months follow-up. The intervention group had a higher post intervention CRQ-M score on average compared with the control group (p = 0.016). The average differences between the groups were 0.58 points (CI = [0.09; 1.06]) after one month and 0.67 points (CI = [0.18; 1.17]) after three months.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychoeducative intervention provided sustainable symptom relief and improved the patients' self-management abilities.

Nurses' perspectives of a new individualized nursing care intervention for COPD patients in primary care settings: A mixed method study

BACKGROUND

The major challenges in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) care are guiding a patient in daily living with the consequences of the disease, reducing the impact of symptoms and improving Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). The new nurse-led COPD-Guidance, Research on an Illness Perception (COPD-GRIP) intervention translates the evidence concerning illness perceptions and Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) into a practice nurse intervention. The aim is to explore the nurses' experiences with applying the new COPD-GRIP intervention.

METHOD

An explanatory mixed-method study nested in a cluster randomized trial in primary care was conducted. Pre-intervention questionnaires were sent to all participating nurses (N=24) to identify expectations. Post-intervention questionnaires identified experiences after applying the intervention followed by two focus groups to further extend exploration of findings. Questionnaires were analyzed by descriptive analyses. To identify themes the audio-taped and transcribed focus groups were independently coded by two researchers.

RESULTS

The nurses described the intervention as a useful, structured and individualized tool to guide COPD patients in living with the consequences of COPD. Applying the intervention took less time than the nurses initially expected. The intervention enables to provide patient-centered care and to address patient needs. Barriers were encountered, especially in patients with a lower social economic status, in patients with a lower health literacy and in patients with other cultural backgrounds than the Dutch background.

CONCLUSION

Nurses perceived the COPD-GRIP intervention as a feasible, individualized tool. According to the nurses, the intervention is a valuable improvement in the care for COPD patients.

Experiences of long-term life-limiting conditions among patients and carers: what can we learn from a meta-review of systematic reviews of qualitative studies of chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic kidney disease?

OBJECTIVES

To summarise and synthesise published qualitative studies to characterise factors that shape patient and caregiver experiences of chronic heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

DESIGN

Meta-review of qualitative systematic reviews and metasyntheses. Papers analysed using content analysis.

DATA SOURCES

CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Scopus and Web of Science were searched from January 2000 to April 2015.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

Systematic reviews and qualitative metasyntheses where the participants were patients, caregivers and which described experiences of care for CHF, COPD and CKD in primary and secondary care who were aged ≥18 years.

RESULTS

Searches identified 5420 articles, 53 of which met inclusion criteria. Reviews showed that patients' and caregivers' help seeking and decision-making were shaped by their degree of structural advantage (socioeconomic status, spatial location, health service quality); their degree of interactional advantage (cognitive advantage, affective state and interaction quality) and their degree of structural resilience (adaptation to adversity, competence in managing care and caregiver response to demands).

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first synthesis of qualitative systematic reviews in the field. An important outcome of this overview is an emphasis on what patients and caregivers value and on attributes of healthcare systems, relationships and practices that affect the distressing effects and consequences of pathophysiological deterioration in CHF, COPD and CKD. Interventions that seek to empower individual patients may have limited effectiveness for those who are most affected by the combined weight of structural, relational and practical disadvantage identified in this overview. We identify potential targets for interventions that could address these disadvantages.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42014014547.

Long-Term Oxygen Therapy 24 vs 15 h/day and Mortality in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) ≥ 15 h/day improves survival in hypoxemic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). LTOT 24 h/day is often recommended but may pose an unnecessary burden with no clear survival benefit compared with LTOT 15 h/day. The aim was to test the hypothesis that LTOT 24 h/day decreases all-cause, respiratory, and cardiovascular mortality compared to LTOT 15 h/day in hypoxemic COPD. This was a prospective, observational, population-based study of COPD patients starting LTOT between October 1, 2005 and June 30, 2009 in Sweden. Overall and cause-specific mortality was analyzed using Cox and Fine-Gray regression, controlling for age, sex, prescribed oxygen dose, PaO₂ (air), PaCO₂ (air), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV₁), WHO performance status, body mass index, comorbidity, and oral glucocorticoids. A total of 2,249 included patients were included with a median follow-up of 1.1 years (interquartile range, 0.6–2.1). 1,129 (50%) patients died and no patient was lost to follow-up. Higher LTOT duration analyzed as a continuous variable was not associated with any change in mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR] 1.00; (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.02) per 1 h/day increase above 15 h/day. LTOT exactly 24 h/day was prescribed in 539 (24%) patients and LTOT 15–16 h/day in 1,231 (55%) patients. Mortality was similar between the groups for all-cause, respiratory and cardiovascular mortality. In hypoxemic COPD, LTOT 24 h/day was not associated with a survival benefit compared with treatment 15–16 h/day. A design for a registry-based randomized trial (R-RCT) is proposed.

[Living with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: The impact of dyspnoea on patients and caregivers]

AIM

To understand the experiences of patients and caregivers living with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the impact of their symptoms and care needs arising from a functional, emotional, and social context.

DESIGN

Qualitative study. Phenomenological perspective. Data were collected during 2013-2015.

SETTING

Primary, secondary and intermediate care. Osona (Barcelona).

PARTICIPANTS

The study included 10 Primary Care patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, their respective 10 caregivers, and 19 primary care professionals, as well as 2 lung specialists, 2 palliative care professionals involved in their care, and one clinical psychologist.

METHOD

Theoretical sampling. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews with patients, caregivers, and professionals (47 interviews).

RESULTS

The emergent topics identified in patients and caregivers interviews refer to dyspnoea, the predominant symptom without effective treatment and with a major impact on patients and caregivers lives. A symptom with great functional, emotional and social repercussions to which they need to adapt in order to survive.

CONCLUSIONS

Beyond pharmacological measures to control respiratory symptoms, proper care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, requires understanding of suffering, the losses and limitations that it causes in their lives and those of their caregivers. A palliative, holistic and closer approach to their real experiences, together with an empowerment to adapt to debilitating symptoms, could contribute to a better life in the end-stages of the disease.

Psychosocial consequences of living with breathlessness due to advanced disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Breathlessness is one of the most important symptoms of patients with advanced life-limiting disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart failure, cancer, or pulmonary fibrosis. Breathlessness has major implications for patients as well as their family caregivers. The present review provides an overview of recent knowledge concerning the psychological and social consequences of breathlessness, including behavioural responses to breathlessness, and the impact of breathlessness on the family caregiver.

RECENT FINDINGS

Breathlessness results in avoidance of exertion and deterioration of functional status. Functional impairment leads to care dependency and social limitations, resulting in a change in social role. Anxiety is an emotional response to breathlessness, but also increases the perception of breathlessness. Family caregivers of patients have to cope with changes in daily life, witnessing breathlessness and adapt to new and challenging role as family caregiver.

SUMMARY

The consequences of living with breathlessness are multidimensional and arise in all aspects of daily life of patients, their family caregivers and their social environment. Multidimensional treatment programmes should become widely available to support patients with advanced disease and their family caregivers in coping with the functional, psychological and social consequences of living with breathlessness.

Meta-synthesis of qualitative research: the challenges and opportunities

Synthesis of qualitative studies is an emerging area that has been gaining more interest as an important source of evidence for improving health care policy and practice. In the last decade there have been numerous attempts to develop methods of aggregating and synthesizing qualitative data. Although numerous empirical qualitative studies have been published about different aspects of health care research, to date, the aggregation and syntheses of these data has not been commonly reported, particularly in pharmacy practice related research. This paper describes different methods of conducting meta-synthesis and provides an overview of selected common methods. The paper also emphasizes the challenges and opportunities associated with conducting meta-synthesis and highlights the importance of meta-synthesis in informing practice, policy and research.

Maintaining a Distinction Between Possible and Impossible Topics of Conversation in the Outpatient Respiratory Medical Clinic

The aim of this study is to generate a grounded theory explaining patterns of behavior among health care professionals (HCPs) during interactions with patients in outpatient respiratory medical clinics. The findings suggest that the HCPs managed contradictory expectations to the interaction by maintaining a distinction between possible and impossible topics to counseling. Three subcategories explaining the effort that maintain the impossible and possible topics separated were identified: (a) an effort to maintain the diseased lungs as the main task in counseling, (b) navigating interactions to avoid strong emotions of suffering in patients to reveal, (c) avoiding the appearance of the non-alterable life circumstances of the patients. The HCPs' attitudes toward what patients could be offered generated a distance and a difficulty during counseling and created further suffering in the patients but likewise a discomfort and frustration among the HCPs.

Exploring the Unmet Needs of the Patients in the Outpatient Respiratory Medical Clinic: Patients versus Clinicians Perspectives

Aim. Developing a theoretical framework explaining patients' behaviour and actions related to unmet needs during interactions with health care professionals in hospital-based outpatient respiratory medical clinics. Background. The outpatient respiratory medical clinic plays a prominent role in many patients' lives regarding treatment and counselling increasing the need for a better understanding of patients' perspective to the counselling of the health care professionals. Design. The study is exploratory and based on Charmaz's interpretation of grounded theory. Methods. The study included 65 field observations with a sample of 43 patients, 11 doctors, and 11 nurses, as well as 30 interviews with patients, conducted through theoretical sampling from three outpatient respiratory medical clinics in Denmark. Findings. The patients' efforts to share their significant stories triggered predominantly an adaptation or resistance behaviour, conceptualized as "fitting in" and "fighting back" behaviour, explaining the patients' counterreactions to unrecognized needs during the medical encounter. Conclusion. Firstly this study allows for a better understanding of patients' counterreactions in the time-pressured and, simultaneously, tight structured guidance program in the outpatient clinic. Secondly the study offers practical and ethical implications as to how health care professionals' attitudes towards patients can increase their ability to support emotional suffering and increase patient participation and responsiveness to guidance in the lifestyle changes.

How should we manage information needs, family anxiety, depression, and breathlessness for those affected by advanced disease: development of a Clinical Decision Support Tool using a Delphi design

BACKGROUND

Clinicians request guidance to aid the routine use and interpretation of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs), but tools are lacking. We aimed to develop a Clinical Decision Support Tool (CDST) focused on information needs, family anxiety, depression, and breathlessness (measured using the Palliative care Outcome Scale (POS)) and related PROM implementation guidance.

METHODS

We drafted recommendations based on findings from systematic literature searches. In a modified online Delphi study, 38 experts from 12 countries with different professional backgrounds, including four patient/carer representatives, were invited to rate the appropriateness of these recommendations for problems of varying severity in the CDST. The quality of evidence was added for each recommendation, and the final draft CDST reappraised by the experts. The accompanying implementation guidance was built on data from literature scoping with expert revision (n = 11 invited experts).

RESULTS

The systematic literature searches identified over 560 potential references, of which 43 met the inclusion criteria. Two Delphi rounds (response rate 66% and 62%; n = 25 and 23) found that good patient care, psychosocial support and empathy, and open communication were central to supporting patients and families affected by all POS concerns as a core requirement. Assessment was recommended for increasing problems (i.e. scores), followed by non-pharmacological interventions and for breathlessness and depression, pharmacological interventions. Accompanying PROM implementation guidance was built based on the 8-step International Society for Quality of Life Research framework, as revised by nine (response rate 82%) experts.

CONCLUSIONS

This CDST provides a straightforward guide to help support clinical care and improve evidence-based outcomes for patients with progressive illness and their families, addressing four areas of clinical uncertainty. Recommendations should be used flexibly, alongside skilled individual clinical assessment and knowledge, taking into account patients' and families' individual preferences, circumstances, and resources. The CDST is provided with accompanying implementation guidance to facilitate PROM use and is ready for further development and evaluation.

Efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention versus usual care for managing anxiety and dyspnoea in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

In its final stages, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a severely disabling condition that is characterised by dyspnoea, which causes substantial anxiety. Anxiety is associated with an impaired quality of life and increased hospital admissions. Untreated comorbid anxiety can have devastating consequences for both patients and their relatives. Non-pharmacological interventions, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, have been effective in managing anxiety and dyspnoea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, the majority of existing interventions have tested the efficacy of relatively intensive comprehensive programmes and primarily targeted patients who have moderate pulmonary disease. We present the rationale and design for a trial that focused on addressing the challenges experienced by severe pulmonary disease populations. The trial investigates the efficacy of a minimal home-based psychoeducative intervention versus usual care for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The trial is a randomised controlled trial with a 4-week and 3-month follow-up. 66 patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and associated anxiety will be randomised 1:1 to either an intervention or control group. The intervention consists of a single psychoeducative session in the patient's home in combination with a telephone booster session. The intervention is based on a manual, with a theoretical foundation in cognitive-behavioural therapy and psychoeducation. The primary outcome is patient-reported anxiety as assessed by the Hospital and Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This trial complies with the latest Declaration of Helsinki, and The Ethics Committee of the Capital Region of Denmark (number H-1-2013-092) was queried for ethical approval. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and presented at scientific conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02366390.

A singing choir: Understanding the dynamics of hope, hopelessness, and despair in palliative care patients. A longitudinal qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

Hope, despair, and hopelessness are dynamic in nature; however, they have not been explored over time. The objective of the present study was to describe hope, hopelessness, and despair over time, as experienced by palliative care patients.

METHOD

We employed a qualitative longitudinal method based on narrative theories. Semistructured interviews with palliative care patients were prospectively conducted, recorded, and transcribed. Data on hope, hopelessness and despair were thematically analyzed, which led to similarities and differences between these concepts. The concepts were then analyzed over time in each case. During all stages, the researchers took a reflexive stance, wrote memos, and did member checking with participants.

RESULTS

A total of 29 palliative care patients (mean age, 65.9 years; standard deviation, 14.7; 14 females) were included, 11 of whom suffered from incurable cancer, 10 from severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 8 from severe heart failure. They were interviewed a maximum of three times. Participants associated hope with gains in the past or future, such as physical improvement or spending time with significant others. They associated hopelessness with past losses, like loss of health, income, or significant others, and despair with future losses, which included the possibility of losing the future itself. Over time, the nature of their hope, hopelessness, and despair changed when their condition changed. These dynamics could be understood as voices in a singing choir that can sing together, alternate with each other, or sing their own melody.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Our findings offer insight into hope, hopelessness, and despair over time, and the metaphor of a choir helps to understand the coexistence of these concepts. The findings also help healthcare professionals to address hope, hopelessness, and despair during encounters with patients, which is particularly important when the patients' physical condition has changed.