Figures
- Fig. 1—
Trial profile based on hospitalisation, collected from a provincial hospitalisation database. #: these patients were included in the 2nd yr because they experienced emergency room visits or hospitalisations.
Tables
- Table. 1—
Baseline characteristics of the study patients
Intervention group Usual care group Subjects n 96 95 Age yrs 69.4±6.5 69.6±7.4 Sex male 50 (52) 56 (59) Living alone 46 (48) 40 (42) Education ≤12th grade 79 (82) 73 (77) Current smoker 24 (25) 25 (26) Smoking pack-yrs 57.8±40.6 56.1±31.3 FEV1 L 0.98±0.31 1.00±0.33 FEV1/FVC ratio 0.46±0.10 0.45±0.12 Dyspnoea MRC 5/5 44 (46) 47 (49) 6-min walk test m 282±91 280±90 SGRQ# 54.1±16.6 55.7±15.7 Data are presented as mean±sd or n (%), unless otherwise stated. FEV1: forced expiratory volume in one second; FVC: forced vital capacity; MRC: Medical Research Council; SGRQ: St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. #: lower score on the questionnaire indicates better health status.
- Table. 2—
Comparison of all-cause hospitalisation(s) between study groups in the year preceding enrolment and for 2 yrs' follow-up
Preceding year Study year 2nd yr follow-up Self-management Standard care Self-management Standard care Self-management Standard care Admissions n 126 133 89 148 104 132 Patient-yrs n 96 95 93.9 89.7 86.2 79.9 Hospitalisations·patient-yr−1 1.30 1.40 0.95 1.65 1.21 1.65 Reduction in hospitalisations·patient-yr−1# −0.10 (−0.27–0.07) −0.70 (−0.95– −0.46) −0.44 (−0.68– −0.21) Treatment difference¶ % −6.3 −42.6 −26.9 #: reduction in the rate of all-cause hospitalisations in the self-management group as compared to the standard-care group (95% confidence interval); ¶: differences were calculated by dividing the absolute difference between groups by the standard-care group value.
- Table. 3—
Comparison of all-cause emergency room (ER) visits between study groups in the year preceding enrolment and for 2 yrs' follow-up
Preceding year Study year 2nd yr follow-up Self-management Standard care Self-management Standard care Self-management Standard care ER visits n 256 268 211 317 217 255 Patient-yrs 96 95 93.9 89.7 86.2 79.9 ER visits·patient-yr−1 2.7 2.8 2.2 3.5 2.5 3.2 Reduction in ER visits·patient-yr−1# −0.1 (−0.21–0.02) −1.3 (−1.18– −1.42) −0.7 (−0.58– −0.82) Treatment difference¶ % −5.5 −36.5 −21.1 #: reduction in the rate of all-cause ER visits in the self-management group as compared to the standard-care group (95% confidence interval); ¶: differences were calculated by dividing the absolute difference between groups by the standard-care group value.
- Table. 4—
Predictive factors of all-cause hospitalisations during the 1st and 2nd yrs of follow-up after adjustment for the intervention
Variable Adjusted OR 95% CI Age# 1.05 1.03–1.06 Sex¶ 0.69 0.55–0.86 SGRQ+ 1.015 1.008–1.022 6-min walk test§ 0.998 0.997–0.999 Education levelƒ 0.81 0.73–0.90 OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval. #: age is treated as a continuous variable (per increased year); ¶: difference for female when compared to male; +: difference per one-point increase (reduced health status) using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ); §: 6-min walk test is given per increased metre on walking distance; ƒ: education level is treated as a five-category variable (from high to low).
