title: Nurse-led multidisciplinary programme for patients with  COPD in primary health care: a controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of a nurse-led multidisciplinary programme (NMP) of pulmonary rehabilitation in primary health care with  regard to functional capacity, quality of life (QoL), and exacerbations among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 1-year longitudinal study with a quasi-experimental design was undertaken in patients with COPD, 49 in the intervention  group and 54 in the control group. Functional capacity was assessed using the 6-minute walking test, and quality of life (QoL) was assessed  using the Clinical COPD Questionnaire. Exacerbations were calculated by examination of patient records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between the groups in functional capacity and QoL after 1 year. The exacerbations  decreased in the intervention group (n = -0.2) and increased in the control group (n = 0.3) during the year after NMP. The mean difference  of change in exacerbation frequency between the groups was statistically significant after one year (p=0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NMP in primary care produced a significant reduction in exacerbation frequency, but functional capacity and QoL were  unchanged. More and larger studies are needed to evaluate potential benefits in functional capacity and QoL.
authors.affiliation: Family Medicine Research Centre, Örebro University, Sweden. ann-britt.zakrisson@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Ann-Britt
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Zakrisson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Engfeldt
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hägglund
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Odencrants
authors.forename: Mikael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasselgren
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arne
authors.forename: Kersti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theander
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000451:nursing* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013548:Sweden; D016896:Treatment Outcome