How People with COPD Perceive and Communicate Exacerbations: A Multicountry Survey Study

作者：Frits M.E. Franssen, Ruth Young, Job F. M. van Boven, Michael G. Crooks, Marie Eckerd, Megan Grobert, John R. Hurst, Anne Hutchinson, John Linnell, Daiana Stolz, Tonya Winders, Jing Zhang, Jad El Khoury, Clémentine Nordon · 发表于：International Journal of COPD · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.2147/copd.s519772 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research、Respiratory and Cough-Related Research、Diabetes Management and Education

Background and Objective: Exacerbations negatively impact quality of life of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and can accelerate disease progression. Studies suggest that patients find it difficult to recognize exacerbations and, therefore, under-report exacerbations. We aimed to understand how people living with COPD perceive and communicate their experiences of exacerbations. Methods: A cross-sectional survey including one open-ended question was developed using a targeted literature review, with input from patients and clinicians. People diagnosed with COPD were recruited from online consumer research panels in Brazil, China, France, Spain, UK, and USA and completed the survey. Responses were described overall and in specific subgroups; thematic analysis was used for the open-ended question. Results: Of 857 respondents (median age 58 years; 50.5% male), 623 (72.7%) reported daily shortness of breath; 417 (48.7%) that daily symptoms changed "a little". In the open-ended question, exacerbations were described through a narrative lens detailing subjective experiences of symptoms, their management, potential causes, and emotions felt during exacerbations, with no single preferred term. In the 671 (78.3%) respondents who reported ever having an exacerbation, these were identified as symptoms being "worse than usual" (52.8%) or because respondents had "more trouble than usual with daily activities" (50.1%). Conclusion: While people living with COPD...