TY - JOUR T1 - Supported self-management for COPD: making progress, but there are still challenges JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 6 LP - 9 DO - 10.1183/13993003.00576-2016 VL - 48 IS - 1 AU - Hilary Pinnock AU - Liz Steed AU - Rachel Jordan Y1 - 2016/07/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/48/1/6.abstract N2 - Respiratory specialists familiar with the success of supported self-management in asthma [1] may be excused for feeling disappointed by the evolution of evidence in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The promise of early studies [2–4] was seemingly dashed by a series of negative trials [5, 6] and a trial was even terminated early for fear of a detrimental effect [7]. The most recent Cochrane review, however, concludes that interventions to support self-management reduce respiratory-related and all-cause admissions, reduce dyspnoea and improve quality of life [8]. The interventions in the included studies were heterogeneous and complex; and it was not possible to identify the individual components of supported self-management responsible for effective outcomes. A wider review of trial-level data was also unable to identify the most important components [9]. The study by Jonkman et al. [10] in this issue of the European Respiratory Journal, which explores the characteristics of effective self-management interventions in an individual patient data meta-analysis, is therefore a useful contribution to the literature.Self-management is not a time-limited intervention but on-going support to help a person live with their condition(s) http://ow.ly/10luZq ER -