“I know this is on my chest, let’s act”: a qualitative study exploring self-management of acute COPD exacerbations with a sputum colour chart to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use

Abstract

Half of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are caused by bacterial infection, but self-management plans (SMPs) generally advocate use of antibiotics and steroids for all events. We report findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of a sputum colour chart and SMP to guide patient use of antibiotics and steroids (commonly termed a ‘rescue pack’). Qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients from the Colour COPD trial – a randomised controlled trial of usual care (SMP alone) versus usual care plus sputum colour chart to manage AECOPD across England and sampled to promote maximum variation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed clean verbatim, then analysed thematically, using an adapted Framework approach. Expert patients contributed to the patient data analysis. Fourteen HCPs and 39 patients were interviewed from primary and secondary care. Three overarching themes were identified. (1) Handling tensions: the tension between stewardship of antimicrobials and need to reduce risk of serious illness. (2) Clinical and embodied legacies: established clinical practices of infection control and patient’s own experiences of managing their condition over time have focused on early intervention for AECOPD. (3) Changing self-management practices: opportunities for changing practices through negotiating change between HCP and patient. In conclusion, while, in principle, the assessment of sputum colour using a chart to manage AECOPD was acceptable to both patients and HCPs, in practice, it is unlikely to have significant impact on well-established clinical practices for infection control and patient habits of self-management.