Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Dec;16(6):363-8.
doi: 10.3132/pcrj.2007.00075.

What are the needs of patients following discharge from hospital after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Kevin Gruffydd-Jones  1 , Carol Langley-Johnson, Christopher Dyer, Kathryn Badlan, Sabbi Ward
Affiliations

What are the needs of patients following discharge from hospital after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)?

Kevin Gruffydd-Jones et al. Prim Care Respir J. 2007 Dec.

Abstract

Aim: To identify patient needs following discharge from hospital after an exacerbation of COPD.

Methods: Qualitative and semi-quantitative study using home-based structured interviews and focus groups involving 25 COPD patients after hospital discharge. Interviews were performed seven days and three months post-discharge. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and were triangulated with the qualitative data from interviews and the focus groups.

Results: There were high levels of depression (64%) and anxiety (40%). Feelings of anxiety after discharge were associated with the fear of another "attack" and with uncertainties about social and medical care provision, especially the provision of oxygen.

Conclusions: Interventions to reduce readmission for COPD exacerbations need to consider the psychosocial as well as the medical needs of patients. There appears to be a need for improved hospital discharge procedures and community follow-up - including the provision of pulmonary rehabilitation and encouragement of self-management strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Kevin Gruffydd-Jones has provided consultancy and speaker services for the following pharmaceutical companies: Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Altana, Novartis, IVAX, Galen, MSD, and Schering Plough. Christopher Dyer has provided speaker services for GlaxoSmithKline. Kathryn Badlan, Carol Langley-Johnson and Sabbi Ward have no potential conflicts of interest.

Publication types