Browsing by Author "Apps, L. D."
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Item Open Access Comparison of a structured home-based rehabilitation programme with conventional supervised pulmonary rehabillitation: a randomised non-inferiority trial(BMJ, 2017-07-29) Horton, E.; Mitchell, Katy E.; Johnson-Warrington, V.L.; Apps, L. D.; Sewell, L.; Morgan, M.; Taylor, R.S.; Singh, S. J.Background Standardised home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes offer an alternative model to centre-based supervised PR for which uptake is currently poor. We determined if a structured homebased unsupervised PR programme was non-inferior to supervised centre-based PR for participants with COPD. Methods A total of 287 participants with COPD who were referred to PR (187 male, mean (SD) age 68 (8.86) years, FEV1% predicted 48.34 (17.92)) were recruited. They were randomised to either centre-based PR or a structured unsupervised home-based PR programme including a hospital visit with a healthcare professional trained in motivational interviewing, a self-management manual and two telephone calls. Fifty-eight (20%) withdrew from the centre-based group and 51 (18%) from the home group. The primary outcome was dyspnoea domain in the chronic respiratory disease questionnaire (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire Self-Report; CRQ-SR) at 7 weeks. Measures were taken blinded. We undertook a modified intention-to-treat (mITT) complete case analysis, comparing groups according to original random allocation and with complete data at follow-up. The non-inferiority margin was 0.5 units. Results There was evidence of significant gains in CRQ dyspnoea at 7 weeks in both home and centre-based groups. There was inconclusive evidence that homebased PR was non-inferior to PR in dyspnoea (mean group difference, mITT: −0.24, 95% CI −0.61 to 0.12,p=0.18), favouring the centre group at 7 weeks. Conclusions The standardised home-based programme provides benefits in dyspnoea. Further evidence is needed to definitively determine if the health benefits of the standardised home-based programme are non-inferior or equivalent to supervised centre-based rehabilitation.Item Open Access The development and pilot testing of the Self-management Programme of Activity, Coping & Education (SPACE FOR COPD)(Dove Press Ltd, 2013-07-09) Mitchell, Katy E.; Harrison, S. L.; Williams, J. E.; Steiner, M.; Apps, L. D.; Sewell, L.; Young, Hannah M. L.; Morgan, M.; Singh, S. J.Purpose: There is no independent standardized self-management approach available for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this project was to develop and test a novel self-management manual for individuals with COPD. Patients: Participants with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD were recruited from primary care. Methods: A novel self-management manual was developed with health care professionals and patients. Five focus groups were conducted with individuals with COPD (N = 24) during development to confirm and enhance the content of the prototype manual. The Self-management Programme of Activity, Coping and Education for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPACE for COPD) manual was developed as the focus of a comprehensive self-management approach facilitated by health care professionals. Preference for delivery was initial face-to-face consultation with telephone follow-up. The SPACE for COPD manual was piloted with 37 participants in primary care. Outcome measures included the Self-Report Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire, Incremental Shuttle Walk Test, and Endurance Shuttle Walking Test (ESWT); measurements were taken at baseline and 6 weeks. Results: The pilot study observed statistically significant improvements for the dyspnea domain of the Self-Report Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire and ESWT. Dyspnea showed a mean change of 0.67 (95% confidence interval 0.23–1.11, P = 0.005). ESWT score increased by 302.25 seconds (95% confidence interval 161.47–443.03, P , 0.001). Conclusion: This article describes the development and delivery of a novel self-management approach for COPD. The program, incorporating the SPACE for COPD manual, appears to provoke important changes in exercise capacity and breathlessness for individuals with COPD managed in primary care.Item Open Access Development of a training program to support health care professionals to deliver the SPACE for COPD self-management program(Dove Press Ltd, 2017-06-07) Blackmore, C.; Johnson-Warrington, V. L.; Williams, J. E. A.; Apps, L. D.; Young, Hannah M. L.; Bourne, C. L. A.; Singh, S. J.Background: With the growing burden of COPD and associated morbidity and mortality, a need for self-management has been identified. The Self-management Programme of Activity, Coping and Education for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (SPACE for COPD) manual was developed to support self-management in COPD patients. Currently, there is no literature available regarding health care professionals’ training needs when supporting patients with COPD on self-management. Aim: This study sought to identify these needs to inform, design and develop a training program for health care professionals being trained to deliver a self-management program in COPD. Methods: Fourteen health care professionals from both primary and secondary care COPD services participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to produce a framework and identify training needs and views on delivery of the SPACE for COPD self-management program. Components of training were web-based knowledge training, with pre- and posttraining knowledge questionnaires, and a 1-day program to introduce the self-management manual. Feedback was given after training to guide the development of the training program. Results: Health care professionals were able to identify areas where they required increased knowledge to support patients. This was overwhelming in aspects of COPD seen to be outside of their current clinical role. Skills in goal setting and behavioral change were not elicited as a training need, suggesting a lack of understanding of components of supporting self-management. An increase in knowledge of COPD was demonstrated following the training program. Conclusion: Both knowledge and skill gaps existed in those who would deliver self-management. Analysis of this has enabled a training program to be designed to address these gaps and enable health care professionals to support patients in self-management. Keywords: self-management, COPD, health care professionals, trainingItem Open Access The evaluation of an interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme: protocol for the Web SPACE FOR COPD feasibility study(BMJ Open, 2015-08-25) Chaplin, E.; Hewitt, S.; Apps, L. D.; Edwards, K; Brough, C.; Glab, A; Bankart, J.; Jacobs, R.; Boyce, S.; Williams, Johanna A.; Singh, S.Introduction: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is an evidence-based intervention that has been recommended in guidelines to be available to those who may benefit. However, not all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have access to this service. Healthcare services have shown the need for the provision of PR in other forms to enable patient choice and service capacity. There is an increase in evidence for the use of the internet in the management of long-term conditions to provide education and promote self-management. The aim of this study is to see if an interactive web-based PR programme is a feasible alternative compared with conventional PR. Methods and analysis: This is a feasibility study designed to evaluate the efficacy of providing a web- based PR programme to improve patients exercise capacity, quality of life and promote self-management in patients with moderate to severe COPD compared with conventional PR programmes. Eligible patients will be randomly allocated to receive either the web- based programme or conventional rehabilitation programme for 7 weeks using an internet-based randomisation system. Participants will be recruited from PR assessments, primary care and community rehabilitation programmes. Those randomised to the web-based programme work through the website which contains all the information that the patients receive in the PR classes. They receive weekly phone calls by a professional to help progress through the course on line. The outcome measures will be recruitment rates and eligibility as well as that standard for a PR assessment including measures of exercise capacity, quality of life questionnaires and physical activity. Ethics and dissemination: The research ethics committee for Northampton has provided ethical approval for the conduct of the study. The results of the study will be disseminated through appropriate conference presentations and peer reviewed journals.Item Metadata only How do informal self-care strategies evolve among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease managed in primary care? A qualitative study(Dovepress, 2014) Apps, L. D.; Harrison, S. L.; Williams, J. E. A.; Hudson, Nicky; Steiner, M.; Morgan, M. D; Singh, S. J.Background: There is much description in the literature of how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) manage their breathlessness and engage in self-care activities; however, little of this is from the perspective of those with less severe disease, who are primarily managed in primary care. This study aimed to understand the self-care experiences of patients with COPD who are primarily managed in primary care, and to examine the challenges of engaging in such behaviors. Methods: Semistructured interviews were carried out with 15 patients with COPD as part of a larger project evaluating a self-management intervention. Thematic analysis was supported by NVivo software (version 8, QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). Results: Three main themes are described, ie, experiencing and understanding symptoms of COPD, current self-care activities, and the importance of family perceptions in managing COPD. Conclusion: Self-care activities evolved spontaneously as participants experienced symptoms of COPD. However, there was a lack of awareness about whether these strategies would impact upon symptoms. Perceptions of COPD by family members posed a challenge to self-care for some participants. Health care professionals should elicit patients' prior disease experiences and utilize spontaneous attempts at disease management in future self-management. These findings have implications for promoting self-management and enhancing quality of life.Item Open Access Important, misunderstood, and challenging: a qualitative study of nurses and allied health professionals’ perceptions of implementing self-management for patients with COPD(Dove Press Ltd, 2015-06-03) Apps, L. D.; Harrison S. L.; Johnson-Warrington, V. L.; Hudson, Nicky; Young, Hannah M. L.; Singh, S. J.Background: In light of the growing burden of COPD, there is increasing focus on the role of self-management for this population. Currently, self-management varies widely. Little is known either about nurses’ and allied health professionals’ (AHPs’) understanding and provision of self-management in clinical practice. This study explores nurses’ and AHPs’ understanding and implementation of supported COPD self-management within routine clinical practice. Materials and methods: Nurses and AHPs participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews to explore their understanding and provision of COPD self-management, as well as their perceptions of the challenges to providing such care. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from a range of professions working within primary, community, and secondary care settings. Three researchers independently analyzed each transcript using a thematic approach. Results: A total of 14 participants were interviewed. Nurses and AHPs viewed self-management as an important aspect of COPD care, but often misunderstood what it involved, leading to variation in practice. A number of challenges to supporting self-management were identified, which related to lack of time, lack of insight regarding training needs, and assumptions regarding patients’ perceived self-management abilities. Conclusion: Nurses and AHPs delivering self-management require clear guidance, training in the use of effective self-management skills, and education that challenges their preconceptions regarding patients. The design of health care services also needs to consider the practical barriers to COPD self-management support for the implementation of such interventions to be successful.Item Open Access Interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme: a randomised controlled feasibility trial(BMJ, 2017-03-31) Chaplin, E.; Hewitt, S.; Apps, L. D.; Pulikottil-Jacob, R.; Boyce, S.; Morgan, M.; Williams, J.; Singh, S. J.; Bankart, JohnObjectives: The aim of this study was to determine if an interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme is a feasible alternative to conventional PR. Design: Randomised controlled feasibility trial. Setting: Participants with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited from PR assessments, primary care and community rehabilitation programmes. Patients randomised to conventional rehabilitation started the programme according to the standard care at their referred site on the next available date. Participants: 103 patients were recruited to the study and randomised: 52 to conventional rehabilitation (mean (±SD) age 66 (±8) years, Medical Research Council (MRC) 3 (IQR2–4)); 51 to the web arm (mean (±SD) age 66 (±10) years, MRC 3 (IQR2–4)). Participants had to be willing to participate in either arm of the trial, have internet access and be web literate. Interventions: Patients randomised to the web-based programme worked through the website, exercising and recording their progress as well as reading educational material. Conventional PR consisted of twice weekly, 2 hourly sessions (an hour for exercise training and an hour for education). Outcome measures: Recruitment rates, eligibility, patient preference and dropout and completion rates for both programmes were collected. Standard outcomes for a PR assessment including measures of exercise capacity and quality of life questionnaires were also evaluated. Results: A statistically significant improvement (p≤0.01) was observed within each group in the endurance shuttle walk test (WEB: mean change 189 ±211.1; PR classes: mean change 184.5±247.4 s) and Chronic Respiratory disease Questionnaire-Dyspnoea (CRQ-D; WEB: mean change 0.7±1.2; PR classes: mean change 0.8±1.0). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in any outcome.Dropout rates were higher in the web-based programme (57% vs 23%). Conclusions: An interactive web-based PR programme is feasible and acceptable when compared with conventional PR. Future trials maybe around choicebased PR programmes for select patients enabling stratification of patient care.Item Open Access Protocol for a feasibility study to inform the development of a multi centre randomised controlled trial of asthma-tailored pulmonary rehabilitation versus usual care for individuals with severe asthma(BMJ, 2016-03-23) Majd, S.; Apps, L. D.; Hudson, Nicky; Hewitt, S.; Eglinton, E.; Murphy, Anna C.; Bradding, Peter; Singh, S.; Green, R.; Evans, R.Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation with core components of exercise training and multiprofessional education is an integral part of the management of patients with chronic lung disease. International guidelines for individuals with asthma recommend exercise as exercise improves symptoms, indices of cardiopulmonary efficiency, health status and psychosocial outcome. However, there is little published evidence evaluating safety and acceptability of exercise training for individuals with severe asthma and there are concerns regarding exercise-induced asthma. We propose a feasibility study for a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of asthma-tailored pulmonary rehabilitation (asthma- tailored PR) versus usual care in individuals with severe asthma. Methods and analysis: The study will be conducted in three stages. Adults with severe asthma will be included if they have persistent symptoms despite being at step 4 or 5 of the British Thoracic Society guidelines. Stage 1: semistructured interviews will be used in a sample of 20–30 individuals with severe asthma to understand the experience and attitudes of this population towards exercise. Stage 2: eight focus groups of at least six healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with severe asthma will be conducted to understand their attitudes towards exercise for this population. Stage 3: a small-scale RCT of the proposed multicentre RCT of asthma- tailored PR versus usual care for individuals with severe asthma will be conducted. The primary outcome measures will be recruitment, retention and adverse event rates. Semistructured interviews with participants of stage 3 will be used to identify further barriers or facilitators to participation in PR and the trial. Thematic analysis will be used for the interpretation of all interviews. Ethics and dissemination: The study results will inform the design of a larger multicentre RCT. TheNational Research Ethics Service Committee East Midland approved the study protocol.Item Open Access A qualitative study of patients' experiences of participating in SPACE FOR COPD: A self-management Programme of Activitiy, Coping and Education(ERJ Open Research, 2017-10) Apps, L. D.; Harrison, S. L.; Mitchell, Katy E.; Williams, Johanna A.; Hudson, Nicky; Singh, S. J.Aims: To understand experiences of participation in a supported self-management programme for COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Background: There is a wealth of clinical trials examining the outcomes of self-management interventions for individuals with COPD, but current understanding regarding patients’ perspectives of such complex interventions is limited. Further insight may help to tailor self-management interventions and maximise patient engagement. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals participating in a self-management programme, SPACE FOR COPD. Interviews took place at six weeks and six months following the programme. Data were analysed at each time point using inductive thematic analysis and subsequently re-examined together. Results: Forty interviews were carried out and four themes emerged from the analysis; ‘perceptions of the programme’, ‘lifestyle changes’, ‘social support’ and ‘disrupting factors and barriers to maintaining routines’. Conclusion: SPACE FOR COPD was acceptable to participants in this study.The importance of education and social support was emphasised at both time points, but with challenges such as co-morbidities, family members’ ill health, limited maintenance of exercise behaviours over the longer term. Further consideration of the role of carers and partners may help to improve adherence with self-management programmes once healthcare professional support has stopped.Item Open Access A self-management programme of activity, coping & education - SPACE FOR COPD in primary care: The protocol for a pragmatic trial(BMJ Open, 2017-07-10) Bourne, C.L.A.; Kanabar, P.; Mitchell, Katy E.; Schreder, S.; Houchen-Wolloff, L.; Bankart, M.J.G; Apps, L. D.; Hewitt, S.; Harvey-Dunstan, T; Singh, S. J.Introduction National guidance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggests that self-management support be provided for patients. Our institution has developed a standardised, manual-based, supported self- management programme: Self-Management Programme of Activity Coping and Education (SPACE for COPD(C)). SPACE was previously piloted on a 1-2-1 basis, delivered by researchers, to individuals with COPD. Discussions with stakeholders highlighted considerable interest in delivering the SPACE for COPD(C) intervention as a group-based self-management programme facilitated by healthcare professionals (HCPs) in primary care settings. The study aims are to explore the feasibility, acceptability and ef cacy for the intervention to be delivered and supported by HCPs and to examine whether group-based delivery of SPACE for COPD(C), with sustained support, improves patient outcomes following the SPACE for COPD(C) intervention. Methods and analysis A prospective, multi-site, single-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, with follow-up at 6 and 9 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control group (usual care) or intervention group (a six-session, group- based SPACE for COPD(C)self-management programme delivered over 5 months). The primary outcome is change in COPD assessment test at 6 months. A discussion session will be conducted with HCPs who deliver the intervention to discuss and gain insight into any potential facilitators/barriers to implementing the intervention in practice. Furthermore, we will conduct semi-structured focus groups with intervention participants to understand feasibility and acceptability. All qualitative data will be analysed thematically. Ethics and dissemination The project has received a favourable opinion from South Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee, REC reference: 14/SC/1169 and full R&D approval from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: 152408. Study results will be disseminated through appropriate peer-reviewed journals, national and international respiratory/physiotherapy conferences, via the Collaboration and Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care and through social media.