Using a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure to Assess Physical, Psychosocial, and Existential Issues in COPD.

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Pulmonology
• Psychosocial Oncology

Background:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) significantly impacts patients' physical health, quality of life, and psychological well-being.
• Clinical identification of psychosocial and existential issues in COPD patients often lags behind physical symptom assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess physical, psychosocial, and existential issues in COPD patients using the PRO-Pall patient-reported outcome measure.
• To evaluate the utility of the PRO-Pall in a Danish outpatient clinic setting for comprehensive patient assessment.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 115 adult COPD patients completed the PRO-Pall measure, either electronically or in-clinic.
• Sociodemographic and illness-related data were collected from electronic health records.
• The PRO-Pall assesses physical, psychosocial, and existential dimensions of patient experience.

Main Results:

• Predominant physical issues included shortness of breath, tiredness, and difficulty walking.
• Worry about social role changes was the most common psychosocial issue; existential issues were reported by ~10% of patients.
• Females reported a greater need for rest, while males reported more intimacy issues. Higher COPD impact correlated with lower quality of life ratings.

Conclusions:

• COPD patients report a range of issues across physical, psychosocial, and existential domains.
• The PRO-Pall measure demonstrates potential as a comprehensive tool for assessing COPD patients' holistic needs.
• This tool offers a broader alternative to measures focusing solely on physical symptoms, facilitating more complete patient care.