Plain Language Summaries for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation Articles in Volume 9 Issue 1

This article was written by Cathy Gray Carlomagno, BS

Most of the articles recently published in Volume 9, Issue 1 of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation have corresponding plain language summaries. The summaries are short and written in simple, non-technical language with the goal of providing a helpful overview of the published "original research," "review," or "perspective" articles. These articles (and their short summaries) cover a variety of COPD-related research topics including pulmonary rehabilitation, COPD and sleep apnea, physical activity, and more.

Plain language summaries are available for each of the following articles:

Using High-Flow Nasal Therapy at Home
High-flow nasal therapy is usually only available in the hospital inpatient setting. However, in the article "Feasibility of Using Daily Home High-Flow Nasal Therapy in COPD Patients Following a Recent COPD Hospitalization,” researchers explain how they completed a study to determine if this type of therapy could be safe and feasible with COPD patients at home.
For the complete plain language summary, click here.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Home
The article, "Home-based Pulmonary Rehabilitation is Effective in Frail COPD Patients with Chronic Respiratory Failure" provides the results of a study created to evaluate the effectiveness of a pulmonary rehabilitation program conducted over an 8-week period. The study had interesting results related to participants' abilities to perform everyday tasks and activities, their health-related quality of life, and their physical frailty or weakness.
For the complete plain language summary, click here.

Testing for the Genetic Condition That Can Cause COPD
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic condition that can cause COPD and all patients diagnosed with COPD should be tested for it. However, this does not always happen. Researchers used a direct electronic message to patients with COPD to attempt to get more patients tested as they explain in the article, "A Novel Detection Method to Identify Individuals with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Linking Prescription of COPD Medications with the Patient-Facing Electronic Medical Record."
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Physical Activity and COPD
Are individuals with COPD who have less troublesome symptoms more active (or less inactive) than individuals with COPD with worse symptoms? Researchers at the Mayo Clinic addressed this question in their study that is presented in the article, "Differences in Sedentary Time, Light Physical Activity, and Steps Associated with Better COPD Quality of Life."
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Sleep Apnea and COPD
Some individuals have both COPD and sleep apnea and must use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. A series of focus groups were conducted with these patients to learn more about their experiences with CPAP therapy. What the researchers learned is provided in the article "Outcomes Important to Patients Diagnosed with Both COPD and Sleep Apnea: Findings from the O2VERLAP Study Focus Groups."
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Quality of COPD Care Provided in Outpatient Settings
Unfortunately, often the quality of COPD care provided in outpatient settings (physician's offices, clinics, emergency departments, etc.) is poor. Knowing this, researchers in Seattle,Washington performed a study to identify the characteristics of both patients and their primary care providers that might be associated with high-quality outpatient COPD care. That study and its results are explained in the article, "Association of Patient and Primary Care Provider Factors with Outpatient COPD Care Quality."
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Exacerbations and the COPD Assessment Test
The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) is a patient questionnaire that asks questions to understand how COPD impacts patients' wellbeing and daily life. In the article, "Higher COPD Assessment Test Score Associated with Greater Exacerbations Risk: A Post Hoc Analysis of the IMPACT Trial," researchers explain how they used information from the large IMPACT trial to study how CAT scores and treatments affect the risk of future exacerbations.
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Noninvasive Ventilation
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a therapy used often when patients are experiencing a COPD exacerbation or flare-up, yet it can be uncomfortable and difficult to tolerate. The article, "Exploring the Patient Experience with Noninvasive Ventilation: A Human-Centered Design Analysis to Inform Planning for Better Tolerance," provides information from interviews conducted to better understand the experiences of patients treated with NIV.
For the complete plain language summary, click here

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin COPD versus "Regular" COPD
The article, Designing Clinical Trials in "Regular" COPD Versus Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency-Associated COPD: "More Alike Than Unalike?" compares emphysema caused by the genetic condition, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and emphysema that occurs in individuals without this condition. Both types of the disease are similar, but the two types are also different in how they are treated and how studies are designed to evaluate and find treatments for the conditions.
For the complete plain language summary, click here