COPD transitions in health and self-management: service users’ experiences from everyday life

Figures & data

Table 1 Examples of development from units of meaning to themes

COPD transitions in health and self-management
Units of meaning	Code	Subcategory	Category	Subtheme	Themes
“I was quite involved before, volunteering and hunting and fishing and all, this is all over now, when I can no longer keep up I feel like a burden.” “I’m just not using the oxygen. I was really clear on this […].”	Being a burden	Obstacle to social participation	Activity and social participation	Challenges related to changing social role and function	The struggle to keep going
“I’m not going to sit there, in public, with that thing up my nose and eat. It’s probably stupid of me […].”	Not be seen with oxygen	Accepting aids
“There was a lot of trauma related to all the admissions. It was all very tiring, and […] I suffered a lot from depression and anxiety, and last time three years ago, I was so sick I had one and a half foot in the grave. The doctors said there wasn’t much they could do. I fought and fought.” “I tried to make myself so small they wouldn’t notice me.”	Traumatic and fatiguing hospital admission	Experience of admission	Hospital admission	Demanding exacerbations and critical events
“I’ve woken up during the night and not been able to breathe. Well, it is a bit scary, isn’t it, when you can’t breathe.”	Scary not to be able to breathe	Consequences of breathing problems	Symptom burden
“There are several things. One is that at home you get to choose whether you want to get on the treadmill or not. But there you just have to every morning. It gives sort of a kick-start, […].”	Kick-starting exercise	Outcome of rehabilitation	When rehabilitation is good and when it is missing	Rehabilitation and exercise as motivation and kickoff for daily drudgery	The need for continuity and competent facilitation
“I was offered a stay right away when they discovered it. Could get time off from work too. But I didn’t do it!”	Was offered, did not accept	Offered rehabilitation
“I have a terrific nice doctor, but he knows nothing about COPD. It’s not even a topic. The hospital does the follow-up. But he’s really nice in every other way.”	Terrific nice physician, lacked knowledge on COPD follow-up at hospital	Primary physician’s lack of specialist knowledge	Collaboration with the primary physician	When COPD is not a topic with the primary physician

Table 2 Sample characteristics

Gender/participant number	Age	Education years	Cohabitance	COPD years	CAT score	Smoking	Health-care utilization
Male/1	62	>11	Children	15	21	No	Physiotherapy Rehabilitation×5 SME×2 Health controls SHS
Male/2	67	<11	Wife	3	19	Yes	Health controls PP
Female/3	69	>11	Husband	10	21	No	Physiotherapy SME Health controls SHS
Male/4	63	<11	None	7	26	Yes	Occupational therapy SME Health controls SHS Health controls PP
Male/5	70	>11	Cohabitant	11	25	Yes	Health controls SHS
Female/6	67	<11	Husband	17	26	No	Rehabilitation×2 SME Health controls SHS
Female/7	70	>11	None	4	29	No	Physiotherapy Rehabilitation×1 Smoking cessation Health controls SHS Acute hospital admission×1
Male/8	64	>11	Cohabitant	30	25	Yes	Physiotherapy SME Rehabilitation×1 Smoking cessation Health controls SHS Acute hospital admission×3
Female/9	71	<11	None	5	21	No	SME Health controls SHS×3
Female/10	76	<11	Husband	10	24	No	Health controls PP
Male/11	70	<11	Wife, daughter	18	24	No	SME Smoking cessation Health controls SHS

Abbreviations: CAT, COPD assessment test; SME, self-management education; SHS, specialist health care service; PP, primary physician.