[Effectiveness of a recuperative primary care intervention in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
OBJECTIVE
The main objective is to assess the effect of a respiratory rehabilitation programme on the quality of life of patients with COPD. Secondary aims are to determine whether the intervention, as against the habitual monitoring, improves tolerance to exercise and pulmonary function, and reduces dyspnoea, the number of crises and hospital admissions due to COPD and the medication used to control the disease.


METHODS
Pragmatic cluster-randomised clinical trial.


METHODS
Clinics of 16 PC teams in various health areas of the Community of Madrid.


METHODS
476 patients with light-moderate COPD, who sign their informed consent.


METHODS
Quality of life, number of crises, packages of medicines used to control the disease, unscheduled attendance, pulmonary function, dyspnoea and tolerance to exercise.


METHODS
The consultations will be assigned to the control and intervention groups at random. At each clinic there will be a randomised selection from all patients with COPD and in a stable clinical condition. 238 patients are needed in each group, in order to detect a minimum difference of 4 points in quality of life, assuming a standard deviation of 16, 95% confidence level, 80% power and 20% losses. The effect between each factor and the variables evaluated through multivariate analysis will be calculated.


CONCLUSIONS
This research project aims to show that a basic recuperative intervention, which is feasible and primary care-based, can achieve improvements in the quality of life of patients with COPD.
Molina París
J
J
EAP Francia I, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain. jmolinap@jazzfree.com
Molina París
C
C
de Lucas Ramos
P
P
Lobo Alvarez
M A
MA
Calvo Corbella
E
E
Lumbreras García
G
G
D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome