Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Results of a pilot investigation into a complex intervention for breathlessness in advanced chronic obstructive
Morag Farquhar1, Irene J Higginson, Petrea Fagan
1Macmillan Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Cambridge, General Practice and Primary Care Research Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, England. mcf22@medschl.cam.ac.uk
Objective:
Breathlessness is the most common devastating symptom of advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Breathlessness Intervention Service (BIS) is a multidisciplinary service that uses both pharmacological and non-pharmacological evidence-based interventions to reduce the impact of the symptom. The results of a Phase II evaluation of the service are reported.
Method:
Pretest - posttest analysis of non-randomized data was performed for 13 patients with severe advanced COPD referred to BIS.
Results:
Mean VAS-Distress scores (primary outcome measure) decreased (improved) for the group between baseline and follow up suggesting a clinically significant improvement: 6.88 (SD = 2.50) to 5.25 (SD = 2.99). At an individual level, 11 of the 13 patients showed a decrease in their distress due to breathlessness, and for eight of these this was clinically significant (range of all decreases 0.3-7.1 cm). Changes in secondary outcome measures are also reported.
Significance Of Results:
The Breathlessness Intervention Service appears to reduce distress due to breathlessness among patients with advanced COPD. A Phase III fully-powered randomized controlled trial is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Nursing Management
Assessment
COPD: Management Using Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Management
Smoking Cessation
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...