Effect of counselling during pulmonary rehabilitation on self-determined motivation to be physically active for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pragmatic RCT

Background

Counselling is considered to be a promising approach to increasing physical activity (PA) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a PA counselling program for people with COPD, when embedded in a comprehensive outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program, increased their daily PA.

Methods

A two-armed, single blind randomized controlled trial was conducted as a component of a 12-week outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program. The participants randomized into the intervention group received five counselling sessions, based on the principles of motivational interviewing (MI), with a physiotherapist. The participants’ steps per day and other proxies of PA were measured using an accelerometer (SenseWear Pro®) at baseline, at the end of the PR program, and three months later. The group-by-time interaction effect was analyzed.

Results

Of the 43 participants,17 were allocated to the intervention group and 26 to the usual-care control group (mean age 67.9 ± 7.9; 21 (49%) males; mean FEV1 predicted 47.1 ± 18.6). No difference between groups was found for any measure of PA at any point in time.

Conclusions

In this study, counselling, based on MI, when embedded in a comprehensive PR program for people with COPD, showed no short-term or long-term effects on PA behavior. To investigate this potentially effective counselling intervention and to analyze the best method, timing and tailoring of an intervention embedded in a comprehensive outpatient PR program, further adequately powered research is needed.

Trial registration: Clinical Trials.gov NCT02455206 (05/21/2015), Swiss National Trails Portal SNCTP000001426 (05/21/2015).

Effect of counselling during pulmonary rehabilitation on self-determined motivation towards physical activity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - protocol of a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Physical activity promotion in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is focus of research and public health. Patient-centred interventions like counselling are promising approaches to help patients reducing sedentary behaviour. Aim of the present study is to investigate if a physical activity counselling program during pulmonary rehabilitation increases physical activity level in daily life in people with COPD.

METHODS

A two-armed, single blind randomised controlled trial including 56 people with COPD will be conducted in an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. Patients will participate in a 12-week-rehabilitation program; individuals randomized to the interventional group will additionally participate in five counselling sessions with a physiotherapist, based on the principles of motivational interviewing. The participants' physical activity level will be measured using an accelerometer (SenseWear Pro®) before, directly and 3 months after pulmonary rehabilitation. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted to learn more about barriers and facilitators regarding daily physical activity.

DISCUSSION

If the strategy successfully improves the physical activity level in people with COPD, counselling might be implemented in pulmonary rehabilitation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trials.gov NCT02455206 (05/21/2015), Swiss National Trails Portal SNCTP000001426 (05/21/2015).

The effects of controlled breathing during pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD

BACKGROUND

Conventional pulmonary rehabilitation programs improve exercise tolerance but have no effect on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The role of controlled breathing using respiratory biofeedback during rehabilitation of patients with COPD remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of a conventional 4-week pulmonary rehabilitation program with those of rehabilitation plus controlled breathing interventions.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was performed. Pulmonary function (FEV1), exercise capacity (6-min walking distance, 6 MWD), health-related quality of life (chronic respiratory questionnaire, CRQ) and cardiac autonomic function (rMSSD) were evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty COPD patients (mean±SD age 66.1±6.4, FEV1 45.9±17.4% predicted) were randomized to rehabilitation (n=20) or rehabilitation plus controlled breathing (n=20). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the change in FEV1 (mean difference -0.8% predicted, 95% CI -4.4 to 2.9% predicted, p=0.33), 6 MWD (mean difference 12.2 m, 95% CI -37.4 to 12.2 m, p=0.16), CRQ (mean difference in total score 0.2, 95% CI -0.1 to 0.4, p=0.11) and rMSSD (mean difference 2.2 ms, 95% CI -20.8 to 25.1 ms, p=0.51).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with COPD undergoing a pulmonary rehabilitation program, controlled breathing using respiratory biofeedback has no effect on exercise capacity, pulmonary function, quality of life or cardiac autonomic function.

Effect of airway clearance techniques in patients experiencing an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review

Answers were sought to the following question: Are techniques, applied predominantly with the aim of clearing secretions from the airways, to patients during an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), safe and effective? A systematic review was undertaken of studies that (i) were either randomized controlled or randomized cross-over trials, (ii) recruited patients during an AECOPD, (iii) reported the results of between-group analyses and (iv) investigated the effect of techniques applied primarily with the aim of clearing secretions from the airways. Studies that examined non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) and early rehabilitation were excluded. Data were extracted pertaining to resting lung function, gas exchange, sputum expectoration, symptoms, NIPPV use and hospital stay. Five studies were included with a mean Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) score of 4.4 ± 1.1 (range: 3—6). The main findings were that (i) airway clearance techniques did not improve measures of resting lung function or produce any consistent change in measures of gas exchange, (ii) the application of 5 min of continuous chest wall percussion reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1), (iii) in people with copious secretions, mechanical vibration, and non-oscillating positive expiratory pressure (PEP) mask therapy increased sputum expectoration and (iv) in patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) and PEP mask therapy reduced the need for, and duration of, NIPPV, respectively. With the exception of continuous chest wall percussion, airway clearance techniques were safe in patients during an AECOPD. Vibration and non-oscillating PEP facilitated sputum expectoration in patients characterized by copious airway secretions. In patients with respiratory failure, techniques that apply a positive pressure to the airways may reduce either the need for, or duration of, NIPPV and hospital length of stay.