A Study on the Daily Healthcare Behavior of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Purpose/Methods: The purpose of this study is to clarify how patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) understand and manage their bodily condition in daily life, in reference to the cognitive models proposed in Schutz. The method used was a semi-structured interview conducted with 15 patients.
Results: The healthcare behavior of COPD patients identified in the interview was classified into the following 11 categories: [1] accepting their bodily changes caused by COPD, [2] carefully examining and comprehending their physical condition, [3] take in feeling to be alive and loss of reliance in the body, [4] trying to familiarize themselves with the way they stabilize their breathing, [5] learning how to achieve and keep physical and mental stability, [6] maintaining physical mobility, [7] implementing body therapy techniques in such a way as to steadily continue them in daily life, [8] adjusting their lifestyle in accordance with their physical condition, [9] finding ways to continue as a member of society, [10] acquiring sufficient knowledge concerning COPD, such as its treatment and future prospects, and [11] trying to fulfill their own roles and find enjoyment in daily life. In this study using the idea of Schutz, therefore, the daily healthcare behavior was able to be clarified from the aspects on the patients side.