Improving Quality of Life and Reducing Healthcare Use in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Through Self-Management Interventions
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common illness in the United States that imposes a significant financial burden on the healthcare system, primarily driven by exacerbations, and it profoundly affects the quality of life of those who live with the disease. The quasi-experimental single-cohort pre- and post-test quality improvement project aimed to determine whether self-management education and personalized action plans can reduce healthcare utilization and improve the quality of life for outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Using convenience sampling, five patients from an outpatient pulmonary and sleep medicine clinic in central Missouri voluntarily participated in the project. Over 3 months, the participants attended one in-person meeting and two telephone-based meetings. They received guidance on a personalized action plan and tailored self-management education based on their responses to a validated questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the pre- and post-test data. In the pre-intervention phase, 80% of participants reported at least one unplanned healthcare visit; this decreased to 20% in the post-intervention phase. Quality of life results showed no consistent trend, with 40% of respondents reporting clinically significant improvements, 40% indicating no change, and 20% experiencing a decline in quality of life. The findings suggest that incorporating self-management education and action plans in COPD management can positively influence specific patient outcomes. The potential impact on the healthcare system is substantial, considering the likely cost reduction associated with decreased healthcare utilization.
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Open Access (fully available)