Rehabilitación pulmonar y componente educativo individual/grupal con seguimiento telefónico en pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC)

Abstract

Introduction: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes progressive dyspnea in patients. Components of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) include physical exercise, education, and behavior change. Adding telephone educational follow-up could cause additional improvements. Objective: to determine the changes in dyspnea, functional capacity and health-related quality of life in patients with COPD who underwent PR; in turn, to determine the changes in the educational needs of the patients who received individual/group educational component and telephone follow-up. Methods: patients with COPD were linked to a PR program with an individual/group educational component and telephone follow-up in a clinic in the city of Cali-Colombia. Dyspnea was assessed according to the modified Medical Research Council scale (mMRC), the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and education needs with the Lung Information Needs. Questionnaire (LINQ) before and after completing the program. Results: 22 patients were linked to the study, a greater number of men with 68.2%, mean age 64.9 years; there were changes in dyspnea mMRC 0.91±0.29; p=0.002, distance traveled 51.37±21.22; p=0.007, SGRQ domains symptoms, activities and total (p<0.05), as well as the knowledge, self-care, exercise and total domains of the LINQ. Conclusion: COPD patients who underwent PR presented improvements in the distance traveled, dyspnea and quality of life; additionally, the individual/group educational component and telephone follow-up caused improvements in patient education.