Attitudes of healthcare professionals providing pulmonary rehabilitation toward partnership in care

ObjectivesThis multicenter study sought to explore attitudes of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) professionals toward self-management and which patients’ competencies are considered important.BackgroundSelf-management in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requires a patients’ active role. Whether patient-clinician partnership in care is supported by PR professionals remains unknown.MethodsAttitudes of 75 PR professionals were assessed using an online version of the Clinician Support – Patient Activation Measure (CS-PAM) 13™.ResultsMean CS-PAM 13™ activation score was 66.5 (11.9) points – professionals support patient’s participation in the care process. However, competencies related to patient as member of a care team and patient as an independent information seeker were only extremely important for 30.7–38.7% and 9.3–17.3% of the professionals, respectively.ConclusionPR professionals embrace the idea of a patients’ active role in the process of COPD self-management. Nonetheless, endorsement of the patient’s involvement as an independent information seeker is needed.