Disease-specific education in the primary care setting increases the knowledge of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To examine the effect of brief disease-specific education delivered in primary care on objective measures of knowledge in individuals recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: A randomized control trial was undertaken during which an experimental group received 2h of education delivered by a certified COPD educator and a control group received usual care. The Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ) was self-administered at the time of randomization and approximately three months later.

Results: Of the 93 individuals that completed the study, 50 (forced expiratory volume in 1s [FEV(1)]=60.0+/-14.3% predicted; 22 males) and 43 (FEV(1)=58.2+/-14.4% predicted; 20 males) participants were randomized to the experimental and control groups, respectively. The BCKQ increased from 27.6+/-8.7 to 36.5+/-7.7 points (p<0.001) in the experimental group, which was greater than any seen in the control group (between-group difference 8.3, 95% confidence interval 5.5-11.2 points).

Conclusion: As little as 2h of education delivered in primary care was effective at increasing objective measures of disease-specific knowledge.

Practice implications: A program of brief education delivered in the primary care setting, represents an important approach for many individuals with COPD who are unlikely to access pulmonary rehabilitation.