Self-management In Bronchiectasis

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 27 Feb 2007 - 14:00 PDT

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Empowering patients with chronic disease to take control over their condition is an important part of management. In a number of lung diseases, self-management programmes have been shown to be helpful; however, these have commonly started with health professionals deciding what is best for patients.

In this research, Judy Bradley (Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Research Institute, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland) and her colleagues started with a group of patients who have bronchiectasis. Using focus group methodology, they asked these people what they found to be problematic about their disease and whether self-management might be helpful.

The research emphasised that patients with bronchiectasis have considerable disruption of their lives. It showed that some of them already engaged in self-management strategies, especially in relation to management of their antibiotic therapy, airway clearance, exercise, complementary medicine and problem solving. Although most patients were very keen to engage in self-management, they perceived a number of obstacles to this strategy, such as delays in treatment, inconsistent management between specialist and primary care, motivational issues and social circumstances.

Patients indicated that sources of support for self-management would include greater accessibility to specialist healthcare and educational material as well as support from friends and family. This study has provided information from the patients' perspective of the elements that need to be included in designing a self-management programme.

Title of the original article:
Self-management in bronchiectasis: the patients' perspective

The European Respiratory Journal is the peer-reviewed scientific publication of the European Respiratory Society (more than 8,000 specialists in lung diseases and respiratory medicine in Europe, the United States and Australia).

http://www.erj.ersjournals.com