Understanding COPD Patients' Perspectives on Utilizing Strategies to Limit Their Exposure to Wildfire Smoke

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• A gap exists in how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) use wildfire smoke mitigation strategies.
• This study investigates patient perspectives on barriers and facilitators to strategy adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand patient viewpoints on wildfire smoke exposure and mitigation.
• To identify factors influencing the use of protective strategies by vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with 31 participants aged 65+ from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Qualitative analysis employed inductive and deductive approaches to identify key themes.

Main Results:

• Patients primarily receive air quality information from online sources, not clinicians, but are open to clinical guidance.
• Barriers to mitigation strategy uptake include lack of education and equipment (masks, air cleaners).
• Patients desire real-time alerts from trusted sources like healthcare entities for behavior change during poor air quality events.

Conclusions:

• Understanding patient perspectives is crucial for designing effective interventions.
• Interventions should focus on improving access to information, education, equipment, and real-time alerts to protect COPD patients from wildfire smoke.