Effectiveness of a self-management program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Bo Phloi Hospital, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

        This one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research aimed to examine the effectiveness of a self-management program among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at Bo Phloi Hospital, Kanchanaburi Province. The sample consisted of 30 COPD patients who received treatment at the hospital, selected using simple random sampling. The research instruments included: 1) a self-management program comprising goal setting, data collection, data processing and evaluation, decision-making, action, and self-evaluation; 2) a knowledge test on COPD; and 3) a self-management behavior questionnaire for COPD patients. These tools were validated by three experts, yielding a content validity index (CVI) of 0.86 and a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.77. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-test.

        The results showed that before participating in the program, the average COPD knowledge score was at a low level ( = 8.73, SD = 2.24), while after participation, the average score increased to a moderate level ( = 12.06, SD = 1.61). The average self-management behavior score was at a low level before the program ( = 2.34, SD = 0.29) and improved to a moderate level after participation ( = 3.49, SD = 0.14). The differences in both knowledge and behavior scores were statistically significant (p < .001).