Background

Post-acute rehabiitation is recommended in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It enhances the sense of control by education, which should focus on patient information needs. However, it is unknown whether a geriatric rehabilitation programme for older patients with advanced COPD and severely impaired health status (the GR-COPD programme) does fit these patient information needs.

Objectives

The study aimed to identify the information needs of patients who were eligible for the GR-COPD programme, and investigated if health-related knowledge improved during rehabilitation.

Methods

All patients indicated for the GR-COPD programme were eligible for this study. The information needs were measured with the Lung Information Needs Questionnaire (LINQ).

Findings

The 158 patients (mean age 70.8 years; FEV1 %predicted: 35.5) showed relatively high baseline information needs (mean LINQ overall score: 8.6 [SD 3.1]), with the greatest need in the domains ‘diet’ and ‘self-management’. After follow-up, the mean LINQ overall score significantly improved in patients who completed the GR-COPD programme (p=0.001).

Conclusion

Patients’ knowledge showed a statistically significant improvement in some areas during the GR-COPD programme.