title: A qualitative study of integrated care from the perspectives of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their relatives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disease management programmes have been developed for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to facilitate the integration of care across healthcare settings. The purpose of the present study was to examine the experiences of COPD patients and their relatives of integrated care after implementation of a COPD disease management programme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven focus groups and five individual interviews were held with 34 patients with severe or very severe COPD and two focus groups were held with eight of their relatives. Data were analysed using inductive content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four main categories of experiences of integrated care emerged: 1) a flexible system that provides access to appropriate healthcare and social services and furthers patient involvement; 2) the responsibility of health professionals to both take the initiative and follow up; 3) communication and providing information to patients and relatives; 4) coordination and professional cooperation. Most patients were satisfied with their care and raised few criticisms. However, patients with more unstable and severe disease tended to experience more problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participant suggestions for optimizing the integration of healthcare included assigning patients a care coordinator, telehealth solutions for housebound patients and better information technology to support interprofessional cooperation. Further studies are needed to explore these and other possible solutions to problems with integrated care among COPD patients. A future effort in this field should be informed by detailed knowledge of the extent and relative importance of the identified problems. It should also be designed to address variable levels of severity of COPD and relevant comorbidities and to deliver care in ways appropriate to the respective healthcare setting. Future studies should also take health professionals' views into account so that interventions may be planned in the light of the experiences of all those involved in the treatment of COPD patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrated Care, Bispebjerg University Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, DK-2400 Copenhagen, NV, Denmark. pewo@phmetropol.dk.
authors.forename: Pernille Maria
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wodskou
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Høst
authors.forename: Nina Skavlan
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Godtfredsen
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frølich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D003718:Denmark; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012720:Severity of Illness Index