The results suggest that the partnership-based nursing practice programme that includes home visits and interdisciplinary collaboration can be a good approach to meeting the complexity of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patient's health needs.

Objective Persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require complex follow-up by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may experience several health literacy (HL) needs. This study aimed to explore such needs in people with COPD and the HCPs who care for them. Methods From October 2016 to August 2017 a qualitative study with four focus groups (FG) were performed in people with COPD (n = 14) and three in multidisciplinary HCPs (n = 21). An inductive thematic analysis was used to investigate HL needs. Results Four HL needs emerged: 1) strengthening the feeling of security; 2) combating the burden of insufficient knowledge on COPD and lack of informational flow; 3) supporting motivation for endurance and self-management; and 4) strengthening dignity. Discussion This study highlights a gap between people with COPD who express important HL needs and HCPs’ capabilities to care for these needs. For HCPs to increase HL in such cases, HCPs need to improve their own HL. It is essential to find solutions on how to improve HL in HCPs who care for people with COPD and to increase the availability of interventions that increase HL in COPD. Education programs, health organizations, and governments should be aware of HL needs in such situations.

Aim To critically review and synthesize the findings of studies that evaluated the effectiveness of nursing interventions for improving breathlessness in adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Background Systematic reviews of nursing interventions for breathlessness in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have not been specifically addressed. Design Systematic review with meta‐analysis. Data sources A systematic search of Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase was performed for studies published between January 2000 and June 2017. Review methods Risk of bias, data extraction and meta‐analysis were conducted using Cochrane methodology. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Results Twenty papers were included. A meta‐analysis of interventions performed at home, including two trials, showed a significant effect in favour of experimental groups for the symptom score of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire compared with controls. A meta‐analysis of interventions performed in clinics with home follow‐up showed a significant effect in favour of experimental groups for the mastery and fatigue scores of the Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire compared with controls. In this category of intervention, an additional meta‐analysis showed a significant effect in favour of experimental groups for the symptom, activity and total scores of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire compared with controls. The quality of evidence was assessed to be very low to moderate. Conclusion The results are equivocal as to whether nursing interventions performed at home and nursing interventions performed in hospital with follow‐up improve breathlessness in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

No abstract