Characteristics of People With Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - A Multicenter Study

Objective This cohort study aims to describe and understand differences and similarities in characteristics among people with severe and advanced COPD who opt-in or opt out of PR services.

The study includes data from: socio-demographic, anthropometric, physical (function, activity, muscle strength, balance) characteristics as well as self-reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, lung symptoms, quality of life, sleep-quality, mortality, hospitaladmissions, length of stay and qualitative patient interviews.

Data from our completed trial study (NCT02667171) will be used as the opt-in PR comparison cohort.

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of COPD defined as a ratio of forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity < 0.70
• FEV1 <50%, corresponding to severe or very severe COPD
• Symptoms equivalent to the Medical Research Council (MRC) from 2 to 5
• Declines to participate in a conventional out-patient hospital-based PR program

Exclusion criteria

• Concurrent participation in or recent completion of pulmonary rehabilitation within the last twelve months.
• Dementia/ Cognitive impairment or uncontrolled psychiatric illness,
• An impaired hearing and / or vision which causes the instructions in the assessment is not understood.
• language difficulties which causes inability to follow instruction or complete patient reported outcome measures (PROM.)
• Any comorbidity that are contraindicated to the assesment protocol.