Table 5.

Practitioner topic guide

Broad topic area	Specific question area and probes
Background	Introduction and experience
	• Education, work history, job role, area of practice/specialty
	• Special interest in COPD?
	‘Typical’ day at work
	• Patient type—working with COPD and/or other LTCs
	• Interaction with other HCPs—GPs, nurses, hospitals, specialists, PR, etc
Understanding of the concepts of ‘self-management’ and self-management support	Describe the term ‘self-management’
	• Who and what is involved?
	• How do COPD patients ‘self-manage’?
	Based on how you described ‘self-management’, how do you provide support?
	• Generic (checklist) vs. personal approach?
	• Is this different for other conditions?
Self-management support for COPD	Self-management/self-monitoring support
	• Stable COPD
	• Acute exacerbations
	Specific COPD self-management interventions
	• Medical (medications/inhalers, ‘rescue packs’) and lifestyle (smoking, physical activity, diet)
	• Mental/psychological health
	• Referrals/signposting to PR, community teams, CBT
	Self-management planning
	• COPD specific plans
	• Action planning, goal setting and follow-up
	• Involving patients in shared decision-making during consultation?
Strategies for implementing self-management support of COPD	Using specific examples, can you describe strategies on;
	• Managing patient confidence/self-efficacy
	• Motivation to engage in self-management
	• Dealing with ‘difficult’ patients
	• Organisational/practical support
	• Managing resources and services
	In your current role/practice, how do you think COPD self-management can be improved?
	• What currently works well?
	• What doesn’t?
	Are you confident in your ability to routinely deliver COPD self-management support?
	• Use of any behaviour change approach?
	• Learning needs/training?
	• Multidisciplinary approach?—roles for other team members
	• Continuity of care?—e.g., transiting from hospitals to community care
	Any concluding thoughts/comments/questions?