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Nyberg A1, Pesola U-M1, Wadell K1
1Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Background: Healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment and self-management interventions need a broad spectrum of knowledge to effectively support disease management. In a recent study we found that healthcare professionals working in home health care in Sweden had limited COPD-specific knowledge as evidenced by a mean score of 42 (64%) when assessed using the Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ). This score is only 10% higher than what previously had been found among patients with COPD. Consequently, there is an urgent need to find strategies to increase COPD-specific knowledge among professionals in home healthcare.
Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate whether an innovative and evidenced based eHealth tool, the COPD-web, could be used to improve COPD-specific knowledge among healthcare professionals working in home health care.
Methods: We conducted a parallel-group controlled pragmatic trial. A total of 40 healthcare professionals (mean age 43+10 years, work experience 14+8 years, 8+8 years working within home healthcare) provided baseline data. The sample consisted of nine physiotherapists, twenty nurses, ten occupational therapists and one dietician. The intervention group, IG, (n=22) was introduced and had access to the COPD-web, while the control group, CG, (n=18) did not receive any intervention. An educational package consisting of six different modules including facts about COPD, common issues in COPD [two parts], physical activity, follow-up and medications were created based on the content of the COPD-web which in turn was based on evidence-based national guidelines for COPD-management. Each module was targeted for 2-weeks and push notifications was sent every 2-weeks to indicate start of a new module. At baseline and 3 months, COPD-specific knowledge was assessed using a modified version of the BCKQ questionnaire. This modification included adding five questions that targeted areas of national treatment guidelines not covered by the original BCKQ questionnaire. Data analyses were intention-to-treat, performed using linear mixed models.
Results: At 3-months the IG reported increased COPD-specific knowledge on the modified BCKQ (mean difference 9 points [3 to 15], p = 0.005) in comparison to the CG group. Also if the original BCKQ was analyzed larger effects were seen in the IG group (mean difference 5 points [1 to 9], p = 0.023). Mean time spent on the COPD-web per module in the IG group was 29±15 min per module across the 3-month intervention period.
Conclusion(s): Use of the COPD-web might be an effective short-term strategy to improve COPD-specific knowledge among health care professionals working with people with COPD within the Swedish home health care system. However, further research is warranted, preferably including long-term follow-up.
Implications: The COPD-web seems to provide health professionals with a clinically relevant and effective eHealth tool that could be used to enable short-term increases in COPD-specific knowledge. The pragmatic design of the study, with the COPD-web used within the healthcare professionals' ordinary work and the limited time needed (≤15 min per week) indicate that the delivery of the education is clinically feasible.
Keywords: COPD, Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire, eHealth
Funding acknowledgements: The Strategic Research Area in Care Sciences, The Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation and The Swedish Heart and Lung Association
Purpose: Our purpose was to investigate whether an innovative and evidenced based eHealth tool, the COPD-web, could be used to improve COPD-specific knowledge among healthcare professionals working in home health care.
Methods: We conducted a parallel-group controlled pragmatic trial. A total of 40 healthcare professionals (mean age 43+10 years, work experience 14+8 years, 8+8 years working within home healthcare) provided baseline data. The sample consisted of nine physiotherapists, twenty nurses, ten occupational therapists and one dietician. The intervention group, IG, (n=22) was introduced and had access to the COPD-web, while the control group, CG, (n=18) did not receive any intervention. An educational package consisting of six different modules including facts about COPD, common issues in COPD [two parts], physical activity, follow-up and medications were created based on the content of the COPD-web which in turn was based on evidence-based national guidelines for COPD-management. Each module was targeted for 2-weeks and push notifications was sent every 2-weeks to indicate start of a new module. At baseline and 3 months, COPD-specific knowledge was assessed using a modified version of the BCKQ questionnaire. This modification included adding five questions that targeted areas of national treatment guidelines not covered by the original BCKQ questionnaire. Data analyses were intention-to-treat, performed using linear mixed models.
Results: At 3-months the IG reported increased COPD-specific knowledge on the modified BCKQ (mean difference 9 points [3 to 15], p = 0.005) in comparison to the CG group. Also if the original BCKQ was analyzed larger effects were seen in the IG group (mean difference 5 points [1 to 9], p = 0.023). Mean time spent on the COPD-web per module in the IG group was 29±15 min per module across the 3-month intervention period.
Conclusion(s): Use of the COPD-web might be an effective short-term strategy to improve COPD-specific knowledge among health care professionals working with people with COPD within the Swedish home health care system. However, further research is warranted, preferably including long-term follow-up.
Implications: The COPD-web seems to provide health professionals with a clinically relevant and effective eHealth tool that could be used to enable short-term increases in COPD-specific knowledge. The pragmatic design of the study, with the COPD-web used within the healthcare professionals' ordinary work and the limited time needed (≤15 min per week) indicate that the delivery of the education is clinically feasible.
Keywords: COPD, Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire, eHealth
Funding acknowledgements: The Strategic Research Area in Care Sciences, The Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation and The Swedish Heart and Lung Association
Topic: Cardiorespiratory
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Umeå University
Ethics committee: Regional Ethical Board
Ethics number: Dnr:2017-381-31M
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
