Abstract
Wilson JS, O’Neill B, Reilly J, MacMahon J, Bradley JM. Education in pulmonary rehabilitation:
the patient’s perspective.
Objectives
To ascertain from patients’ perspectives what should be included in the educational
component of pulmonary rehabilitation and how it should be delivered, and to compare
those perspectives with the views of health professionals.
Design
Qualitative research method using focus groups of patients and health professionals.
Setting
A regional respiratory center and outpatient clinic.
Participants
Purposive samples of 32 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
(forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 18%–67% predicted) divided into 6 focus groups;
8 health professionals knowledgeable about COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation who attended
a multidisciplinary focus group meeting.
Interventions
Participants attended focus group meetings (2–3h) guided by a series of questions
and topics; results were posted to the participants for their verification.
Main Outcome Measure
The educational content of a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Results
Deficits in patients’ knowledge, understanding, and management of their disease were
identified. Six key educational topics resulted: disease education, management of
breathlessness, management of an exacerbation, medication, psychosocial support, and
welfare and benefits systems. Patients and health professionals preferred group information
sessions provided by knowledgeable people speaking layman’s language, with oral presentations
being supplemented by written information.
Conclusions
Gaining a greater understanding of patients’ educational needs permits health professionals
who design pulmonary rehabilitation programs to include these requirements in a format
that is acceptable to patients. The key topics, content, and format for delivery of
the educational component for pulmonary rehabilitation were identified. Future research
should focus on the development of an educational package and assessment of its efficacy,
which would facilitate equitable patient access to education in pulmonary rehabilitation.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Support by the Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke Association (grant no. 200429).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the author(s) or upon any organization with which the author(s) is/are associated.
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
