Development of a training program to support health care professionals to deliver the SPACE for COPD self-management program

Contemporary Issues and Practicalities in Completing Advance Care Planning for Patients With Severe COPD Living Alone: A Qualitative Study

Health care professionals working with older people living alone with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to complete advance care planning (ACP) often encounter the double burden of social isolation and acute exacerbations in this planning. The study explored clinicians' perceptions regarding factors influencing the completion of ACP for older people with COPD living alone. Individual interviews were conducted with 18 health care professionals using the video meeting platform in 2020. A semi-structured interview guide included: (a) behavior and lifestyle related to decision-making, (b) desired place to die, and (c) facilitators and barriers to autonomy in patients with severe COPD who live alone. Five main themes were identified: information sharing among team members, patient readiness, desired place of death, economic constraints, and care at the time of and after death. Partly due to the heterogeneity and complexity of clinical courses and treatment responses of COPD, a wide range of social issues of a person's life were related to practicality in the completion of ACP for older people with COPD living alone. Social work knowledge and skills such as in-depth interviewing, outreach finance and welfare support, and holistic perspective play an essential role in completing ACP for COPD patients living alone.

The information needs of people with COPD-The holistic approach with special reference to gender and time since diagnosis

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine what kinds of unmet information needs people with COPD have and whether there are differences in information needs between genders or based on the time since COPD diagnosis.

Design

A descriptive cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Data on people with COPD (N = 169) were collected from a two‐part questionnaire distributed via website. On the first part, information needs concerning the medical aspects of self‐management were measured by the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ). On the second part, which was developed specifically for this study, a more holistic view of self‐management counselling was sought. Statistical methods were used to analyse the data.

Results

The respondents had wide‐ranging information needs in many areas of COPD self‐management. The most often reported areas of unmet information needs included exacerbations, diet, fatigue, stress and anxiety, palliative care and sexual life. The information needs varied by gender and time since COPD diagnosis.

The impact of integrated disease management in high-risk COPD patients in primary care

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a reduced quality of life (QoL) and exacerbations that drive health service utilization (HSU). A majority of patients with COPD are managed in primary care. Our objective was to evaluate an integrated disease management, self-management, and structured follow-up intervention (IDM) for high-risk patients with COPD in primary care. This was a one-year multi-center randomized controlled trial. High-risk, exacerbation-prone COPD patients were randomized to IDM provided by a certified respiratory educator and physician, or usual physician care. IDM received case management, self-management education, and skills training. The primary outcome, COPD-related QoL, was measured using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT). Of 180 patients randomized from 8 sites, 81.1% completed the study. Patients were 53.6% women, mean age 68.2 years, post-bronchodilator FEV1 52.8% predicted, and 77.4% were Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease Stage D. QoL-CAT scores improved in IDM patients, 22.6 to 14.8, and worsened in usual care, 19.3 to 22.0, adjusted difference 9.3 (p < 0.001). Secondary outcomes including the Clinical COPD Questionnaire, Bristol Knowledge Questionnaire, and FEV1 demonstrated differential improvements in favor of IDM of 1.29 (p < 0.001), 29.6% (p < 0.001), and 100 mL, respectively (p = 0.016). Compared to usual care, significantly fewer IDM patients had a severe exacerbation, -48.9% (p < 0.001), required an urgent primary care visit for COPD, -30.2% (p < 0.001), or had an emergency department visit, -23.6% (p = 0.001). We conclude that IDM self-management and structured follow-up substantially improved QoL, knowledge, FEV1, reduced severe exacerbations, and HSU, in a high-risk primary care COPD population. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02343055.

Long-term efficacy and effectiveness of a behavioural and community-based exercise intervention (Urban Training) to increase physical activity in patients with COPD: a randomised controlled trial

There is a need to increase and maintain physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed 12-month efficacy and effectiveness of the Urban Training intervention on physical activity in COPD patients.

This randomised controlled trial (NCT01897298) allocated 407 COPD patients from primary and hospital settings 1:1 to usual care (n=205) or Urban Training (n=202). Urban Training consisted of a baseline motivational interview, advice to walk on urban trails designed for COPD patients in outdoor public spaces and other optional components for feedback, motivation, information and support (pedometer, calendar, physical activity brochure, website, phone text messages, walking groups and a phone number). The primary outcome was 12-month change in steps·day⁻¹ measured by accelerometer.

Efficacy analysis (with per-protocol analysis set, n=233 classified as adherent to the assigned intervention) showed adjusted (95% CI) 12-month difference +957 (184–1731) steps·day⁻¹ between Urban Training and usual care. Effectiveness analysis (with intention-to-treat analysis set, n=280 patients completing the study at 12 months including unwilling and self-reported non-adherent patients) showed no differences between groups. Leg muscle pain during walks was more frequently reported in Urban Training than usual care, without differences in any of the other adverse events.

Urban Training, combining behavioural strategies with unsupervised outdoor walking, was efficacious in increasing physical activity after 12 months in COPD patients, with few safety concerns. However, it was ineffective in the full population including unwilling and self-reported non-adherent patients.

Urban Training in COPD increased physical activity after 12 months but not in self-reported non-adherent patientshttp://ow.ly/dc2C30lnAEs