Table 5.
Self-management support: Plans and healthcare professional advice
| Characteristic | No exacerbation within the last 6-months (n = 534) | Exacerbation within the last 6-months (n = 490) |
|---|---|---|
| Agreed self-management plan for COPD with health professional; n (%) | ||
| Yes (within last 12-months) | 129 (25.1%) | 165 (34.6%) |
| Yes (more than 12-months ago) | 57 (11.1%) | 49 (10.3%) |
| No | 276 (53.8%) | 214 (44.9%) |
| Do not know | 51 (9.9%) | 49 (10.3%) |
| Current satisfaction with information provided about inhalers or medicines (by health professional); n (%) | ||
| Understand everything | 421 (80.2%) | 352 (80.7%) |
| Understand but would like to know more | 80 (15.2%) | 57 (13.1%) |
| Slightly confused about medicines | 15 (2.9%) | 23 (5.3%) |
| Very confused about medicines | 9 (1.7%) | 4 (0.9 %) |
| Health professional advised to give up smoking within the last 12 months; n (%) | ||
| If current-smoker at baseline | 141 (54.7%) | 149 (57.8%) |
| Health professional offered practicala help to give up smoking within last 12 months; n (%) | ||
| If current-smoker at baseline | 105 (40.7%) | 115 (44.6%) |
| Health professional advice on diet/eating; n (%) | ||
| None | 291 (56.6%) | 247 (52.1%) |
| Lose/gain weight | 73 (14.4%) | 73 (15.5%) |
| Eat healthy food | 164 (32.3%) | 162 (34.4%) |
| Eat several small meals/day | 28 (5.5%) | 57 (12.2%) |
| Health professional advice to do some physical activity; n (%) | 258 (50.2%) | 261 (55.4%) |
| Attendance at a training course on COPD (e.g., Expert Patients Programme); n (%) | ||
| Within the last 12-months | 26 (5.0%) | 50 (10.6%) |
| Yes but not within the last 12-months | 34 (6.6%) | 59 (12.5%) |
| No | 456 (88.4%) | 363 (76.9%) |
| Attendance at a support group for lung problems (e.g., Breathe easy); n (%) | ||
| Regularly | 5 (1.0%) | 26 (5.5%) |
| Occasionally | 10 (1.9%) | 24 (5.1%) |
| Never | 503 (97.1%) | 421 (89.4%) |
| Attendance at pulmonary rehabilitation; n (%) | ||
| Offered pulmonary rehabilitation in past 6 months | 19 (3.7%) | 53 (11.5%) |
| If offered, attended pulmonary rehabilitation | 13 (68.4%) | 32 (60.4%) |
NB: Where numbers do not add up to full cohort, values are missing. Percentages refer to the data available
a Practical help: e.g., NRT/smoking cessation clinic