PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mwasuku, Chris
AU  - Krassowska, Karolina
AU  - Coleman, Courtney
AU  - Powell, Pippa
AU  - Bafadhel, Mona
TI  - Rethinking COPD Exacerbations: a global patient perspective
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA1805
DP  - 2021 Sep 05
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA1805
VI  - 58
IP  - suppl 65
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA1805.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA1805.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2021 Sep 05; 58
AB  - Introduction: The term ’exacerbation’ has been challenged by patients, researchers and clinicians.Objectives: We sought to understand the patient perspectives of the term ’exacerbation’ and alternatives.Methods: A survey was sent out via the European Lung foundation. It consisted of a combination of Likert scale questions, multiple choice and free text, and distributed globally via Survey Monkey®.Results: A total of 633 respondents (68% women) took part from 27 countries and 16 native languages. The majority of participants (64.9%) never or rarely used the term ‘exacerbation’ when speaking with a nurse or doctor. The term ‘flare up’ was most favoured by 26.6%, followed by ‘crisis’ (22.9%); ‘attack’ (20.1%); ‘exacerbation’ (15.5%) and lastly ‘chest infection’ (9.8%). ‘Crisis’ was easier to understand when compared directly with ‘exacerbation’. From the perspective of each native language, 63.8% overall agreed that ‘crisis’ was appropriate in describing the worsening of their symptoms.Conclusion: Individual patient perspectives need to be considered in COPD whilst the term ‘exacerbation’ is not accepted by patients. Future considerations of terms include crisis and flare-up.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA1805.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).