Improved health and wellbeing in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive and debilitating disorder, which, as it progresses, places a significant burden on individuals and those caring for them. This is not only in terms of dealing with the condition itself but also in adhering to disease and treatment self-management programmes.

In addition to improving individual outcomes, there are significant implications for broader healthcare systems in terms of reducing the number of hospital admissions and downstream costs of care. Behavioural-change interventions provide an opportunity to move beyond the 'simple' provision of information and work with patients, caregivers and others to provide tailored, evidence-based support that will promote optimal outcomes. Interventions that draw on core behavioural and psychological theories and frameworks have proven to be more successful in driving these changes, both in the short term and over time.

This report explores some of the key psychological theories and principles that underpin innovative wellness strategies, with a focus on the real-world challenges faced by people managing their COPD, in order to highlight key opportunities to improve patient support and define connected solutions that address the unmet needs of these patients.