title: Self-reported quality of ADL task performance among patients with COPD exacerbations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience problems in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL) tasks. The objective was to examine the self-reported quality of ADL task performance among COPD patients, and to investigate whether age, gender, and routine COPD characteristics correlate with the self-reported ADL ability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients admitted to hospital with COPD exacerbations participated. In a cross-sectional study, the patients' self-reported ADL ability was assessed using the ADL-Interview (ADL-I) instrument. Data concerning age, gender, and routine COPD characteristics were drawn from the patients' medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients reported being inefficient to markedly inefficient when performing ADL tasks within the personal hygiene, toileting, dressing, household, mobility, and transportation domains. While more than 90% of the participants reported increased effort and/or fatigue when performing the ADL tasks, up to 88% of the participants relied on help from others in the performance of general household chores like cooking and shopping. Self-reported ADL ability did not correlate with age, gender, or routine COPD characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Decreased quality of ADL task performance seemed to be extremely common among COPD patients. Therefore, addressing the problems in individually tailored pulmonary rehabilitation programmes may be advantageous.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy & Physiotherapy Department, Copenhagen University Hospital , Gentofte , Denmark.
authors.forename: Hans Jørgen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bendixen
authors.forename: Eva Ejlersen
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Wæhrens
authors.forename: Jon Torgny
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Wilcke
authors.forename: Lisbeth Villemoes
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: ADL performance; fatigue, dependency on others; individually tailored rehabilitation