[Online COPD self-management programme improves COPD knowledge: results of a single-centre study]

Many patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) do not participate in outpatient educational programmes. Online education might help increase participation rates, and knowledge about COPD self-management.

We developed a new online digital COPD self-management programme (dCSP). The aim was to evaluate its effect on increasing knowledge about COPD self-management.

A non-controlled single-centre pilot study (DRKS00024956) was conducted in a pulmonary rehabilitation clinic. The increase in knowledge from baseline (T0) to the post-online-training (T1) and the final face-to-face training (T2) was determined using the Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ), a 65-item instrument with a maximum score of 65 points). The BCKQ difference was tested for statistical significance using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The influence of age, gender, education, previous participation in COPD training and baseline knowledge T0 on the baseline knowledge T0, the increase in knowledge T1-T0 and total increase in knowledge T2-T0 in the BCKQ was examined using univariable and multivariable regression models. Furthermore, participants were invited to provide feedback on their satisfaction with the dCSP and its user-friendliness.

Among patients (n=50), the number of correct answers in the BCKQ increased from 34.7±9.1 (mean ± standard deviation) at the beginning to 43.9±6.5 after completing the dCSP (p<0.001) and further to 46.4±6.4 after completing face-to-face training (p=0.001). The increase in knowledge through the dCSP was greatest among secondary school graduates (p=0.048). Low prior knowledge was also associated with a greater increase in knowledge (p<0.001). Overall, the dCSP received very positive evaluations.

A dCSP could be helpful in compensating for knowledge deficits in patients with COPD facilitating access to COPD knowledge. Patients with lower levels of education and prior knowledge seem to benefit particularly. The benefits of a dCSP would need to be validated in future comparative studies.