4. Discussion
Results from this study showed that simple, structured, self management education was capable of improving patients’
quality of life when at home. Subjects had better quality of life
in intervention group than subjects in control group during three-month period; moreover, these differences were even
more pronounced at six months. Effects of self-management
education were not obviously apparent at three months but
gradually increased as time passed up to six months. This is
not surprising, as quality of life changes require time. The results of this study confirmed the similar findings by Bourbeau et al., and demonstrated that patients who received
health-related skills and knowledge through self management
education were encouraged to integrate them into daily life and actuate to positive and beneficial development.
Thus, the effects of self-management were cumulative,
and could be reached via a long-term process. The ultimate
aim of self-management education is to help patients manage
disease and maintain health lifestyles. Interestingly, other
variables are involved when assessing symptoms including
weather changes or air quality. In this study, subjects took
measures to prevent or avoid symptoms exacerbated by these conditions, which indicated that self-management education provided patients abilities to face the disease, devise proper strategies and prevent the worsening of symptoms. Finally, with the intensity of self-management education reduced, patients’ quality of life was still in state of improvement. Once a patients’ belief in self-management is established, in other words, the belief of living well with COPD, improvements can be observed for long periods of time. The outcomes confirmed previous studies that showed that the state of improvement of quality of life in patients could be maintained for two years