Self-management education for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: There is great interest in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the associated large burden of disease. COPD is characterised by frequent day by day fluctuations, and repetitive clinical exacerbations are typical. Self-management is a term applied to educational programmes aimed at teaching skills needed to carry out medical regimens specific to the disease, guide health behaviour change, and provide emotional support for patients to control their disease and live functional lives.

Self-management education for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: In asthma, self-management programmes have been proven to be effective. In COPD, their value is not clear.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of COPD self-management/ education programmes on health outcomes and use of health services

Search Strategy: We searched the Cochrane Airways Group trial registers, MEDLINE (January 1985 to October 2001), reference lists, and abstracts of medical conferences.