Comprehensive Self-management Support for COPD Patients

For the intervention, community health workers will assess barriers to good self-management behaviors that lie within 4 domains: 1) social context, 2) physical health and functioning, 3) cognitive factors, and 4) psychological factors. They will work with participants for 6 months to help them work through their barriers to self-management of COPD. Participants can also participate in home-based pulmonary rehabilitation and can receive emergency pack/action pack medication for COPD exacerbations.

"The attention control will consist of 4 visits by a COPD educator to the home to review the COPD education booklet. During the first visit, this COPD educator will review the COPD 1-2-3 booklet in its entirety with the patient. During visits 2 and 3, the COPD educator will make a visit to check in with the patient, ask how they are doing with their respiratory symptoms, and review any sections of the COPD 1-2-3 booklet the patient chooses. The COPD educator will recommend visits every 2 months but the patient and COPD educator may choose to modify the interval as needed. If the patient appears to be experiencing worsening respiratory symptoms during any visit, the COPD educator will notify the patient's physician."