Impact of a behavioral-based intervention on inspiratory muscle training prescription by a multidisciplinary team

Our goal was to compare behavioral- and information-based interventions aimed at increasing prescription of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by interdisciplinary teams during pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

Six hospital PR programs were randomly assigned to a behavioral- or information-based intervention. Both interventions provided evidence supporting IMT and its prescription details. However, the behavioral-based intervention focused on barriers and challenges to IMT prescription informed by a nationwide survey and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). It included hands-on practice and content, in part, was driven by learners' questions. In contrast, the information-based intervention delivered information in a typical didactic education session followed by a demonstration and question period. It was supplemented with evidence-based research articles. The primary outcome was the change in prescription rate of IMT for COPD patients by determining the difference during the 6 months preceding compared to the 6 months during the interventions.

Sixty-one health professionals and 488 COPD outpatients within 6 PR programs participated. No COPD patients were prescribed IMT at any of the sites during the 6-month preintervention phase. The behavioral-based intervention resulted in an IMT prescription rate of 10.2% to people with COPD, whereas the information-based intervention resulted in no IMT prescriptions.

A behavioral-based intervention that is based on TPB and addresses challenges identified by health professionals is more effective than a traditional lecture approach to increase health professionals' prescription of IMT for patients with COPD.