TY - JOUR T1 - Participants perspectives of living with COPD: The role of different groups of health professionals JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 38 IS - Suppl 55 SP - p1253 AU - Andrew Hardy AU - Alison Coe Y1 - 2011/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p1253.abstract N2 - Methodology: This is a qualitative research study of participants experiences of a pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme based in Wakefield, UK. 4 group interviews were carried out in spring 2010 involving 24 participants. 22 had a primary diagnosis of COPD (mean FEV1 1.1 litres, 42% predicted), 1 had lung cancer and 1 was a carer for a participant with COPD. A structured interview included discussion of the roles of different groups of health professionals- general practitioners (GP) and nurse specialists.Results: Particpants liked their GP to have good communication skills. Specific examples of good practice were describing illness in a manner which the participant could understand and allowing time to ask questions. Patients appreciated the amount of time they were able to spend with a doctor, liked regular contact with the same GP and disliked waiting for appointments. Participants wanted to feel that something could be done to improve their situation, trusted doctors decision making and rarely asked questions regarding their treatments. Specialist nurses were considered to be more helpful in managing symptoms than GPs. Nurses had more time for patients, were more likely to involve patients in decision making, and showed greater empathy. Some nursing staff were considered to have more specialist knowledge than GPs. Participants described a high degree of trust in nurses decision making and were more comfortable discussing their condition with them.Summary: Patients with COPD value good communication skills, expert knowledge, a positive approach and good time management in their health providers. Specialist nurses are able to deliver an effective patient-centred service. ER -