Health Literacy in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Health Literacy. An Intervention on Organized Information and Health Care for People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Health literacy refers to personal and relational factors affecting a person's ability to acquire, understand and use information about health and health services. In a need assessment study it was found that, the health services need to focus on health literacy factors in the follow up of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thus, this project evaluate the effect a of a health literacy partnership health promotion intervention (hospital, municipalities, university) after discharge from hospital with the use of motivational interviewing and tailored follow-ups on re-admission, health literacy, self-management quality of life and cost in people with COPD compared with usual care.

Health literacy intervention group will receive self-management help using a motivating interviewing technique delivered by nurses trained on motivating interviewing technique and COPD.

In the health literacy intervention group all patients will receive self-management help using a motivating interviewing (MI) technique delivered by two MI and COPD trained nurses once a week for eight weeks after hospitalization. Subsequently, the contact between the patients and the nurses will be by follow up motivational telephone calls once a month or more if needed for four months (i.a a total of six months intervention period).

Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosed with COPD, Above 18 years, Admitted to a medical department at the main intervention hospital, l Live in the sites belonging to the intervention hospital. Exclusion Criteria: Not diagnosed with COPD, Not above 18 years, Not admitted to a medical department at the main intervention hospital, and Not living in the sites belonging to the intervention hospital. Cognitive failure Patients that are investigated or treated for cancer