Effectiveness of Respiratory Guidance on Respiratory Status and Health Related Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Selected Private Hospitals, Coimbatore: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory disorder that causes dyspnea, reduced lung capacity, and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured respiratory guidance programme on respiratory status and HRQOL among patients with COPD in selected private hospitals at Coimbatore.
A total of 30 patients with Stage I and Stage II COPD were selected by purposive sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received a structured respiratory guidance programme consisting of airway clearance, pursed-lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, incentive spirometry training, breathing exercise-based movement training, and balloon-blowing exercises, while the control group received routine care and standard incentive spirometry. Dyspnea severity, lung capacity, and HRQOL were assessed before and after the intervention using the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale, incentive spirometry performance, and the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire–COPD version.
The findings showed that both groups were comparable at baseline, with no significant differences in demographic or outcome variables. After the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in dyspnea, improvement in lung capacity, and better HRQOL compared with the control group. Within-group analysis also showed significant improvement in all three outcome measures in the experimental group, while the control group showed no meaningful change. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship between improvement in respiratory status and HRQOL in the experimental group.
The pilot study concludes that respiratory guidance is an effective non-pharmacological nursing intervention for improving dyspnea, lung capacity, and HRQOL in patients with COPD. The findings support the inclusion of structured respiratory guidance in routine nursing care and pulmonary rehabilitation programmes.