Photo Credit: iStock.com/magicmine
Many individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease describe exacerbations in personal, varied terms, revealing a need for clearer, patient-centered communication in care.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study published in June 2025 issue of International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to explore how individuals living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) perceived and communicated their experiences of exacerbations.
They carried out a cross-sectional survey designed through a targeted literature review, incorporating input from clinicians and individuals diagnosed with COPD. The survey included 1 open-ended question. Participants were recruited from online consumer research panels across 6 countries: Brazil, China, France, Spain, UK, and the United States (Brazil, China, France, Spain, the UK, and the USA). All recruited individuals had a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Survey responses were summarized both overall and by specific subgroups. Thematic analysis was applied to open-ended responses.
The results showed that among 857 respondents (median age 58 years; 50.5% male), 623 individuals (72.7%) experienced shortness of breath daily. A total of 417 individuals (48.7%) reported that their daily symptoms changed “a little.” The open-ended responses described exacerbations through personal experiences of symptoms, triggers, management strategies, and emotions without a consistent preferred term. Among 671 respondents (78.3%) who had ever experienced an exacerbation, 52.8% identified it as symptoms being “worse than usual,” and 50.1% linked it to having “more trouble than usual with daily activities.”
Investigators concluded that a gap existed between how individuals with COPD described exacerbations and clinical terminology, suggesting that plain language tools could have supported better communication with healthcare providers.
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