Summary
Asthma
Asthma-Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome
Bronchiectasis
Cardiorespiratory fitness
Chronic Bronchitis
x Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease
Comprehensive Health Care
Covid-19
Croatia
Cystic Fibrosis
Disease Management
Eating behavior
Epidemiology
Exercise addiction
Exercise Therapy
x Finland
Food consumption
Health behavior change
Health Education
Health Resources
Health Services Needs and Demand
Italy
Lifestyle
Lithuania
Aim: 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.
Participants and methods: 156 patients with COPD responded to a questionnaire that established into information needs concerning the medical aspects of self-management and a more holistic view of self-management counselling.
Results: According to the results, the respondents had many unmet information needs concerning the content of counselling provided by HCPs. Over three-quarters of the respondents wanted information about palliative care or social security, and information on how to recognize and self-manage typical COPD symptoms, such as fatigue, anxiety, depression or stress. Furthermore, subjects important for COPD management (e.g. rehabilitation alternatives) and daily life (e.g. relaxation, energy conservation, sleep and rest and management of daily tasks) were areas of high information needs. The respondents perceived to have received enough information about vaccination, peer support, care of mouth, long-term oxygen therapy and searching for further information. However, the need for information was evident in these areas as well, as over one-half of the respondents had information needs concerning these items too, apart from vaccination.
Conclusions: COPD self-management counselling should be based on the information needs of the individual patient and should also consider the patient's gender and the time since diagnosis. Particular attention should be paid to the often neglected psychosocial areas of living with the disease. A holistic instrument for the measurement of the information needs of people with COPD is therefore needed.
