How loneliness impacts on patients with COPD ( version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study to explore how the phenomenon of loneliness impacts on the patient living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
IRAS ID
177800
Contact name
Annie Robinson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teeside University
Duration of Study in the UK
years, 10 months, days
Research summary
This study aims to develop knowledge of how loneliness impacts on the patient living with COPD. Research to date suggests that the phenomenon of loneliness particularly in patients suffering from chronic illness such as COPD has a huge, partially hidden and under recognised impact on the patients perception of illness, including affecting their coping mechanisms, presenting severity of illness, self management skills and their frequency as users of health care services inclusive of GP appointments, usage of Accident & Emergency Departments, Urgent Care Centres and hospital admissions (APHO,2011).
This paper describes an exploratory qualitative study investigating what impact loneliness may have on those living with COPD employing the use a focus group as a data collection method. This approach is utilised to encourage participants to share their experiences of loneliness in relation to their chronic illness, aiming to provide insight into its impact on the severity of their symptoms, ability to self manage, their coping skills and their experience as health care users. Participants who have a working diagnosis of COPD that have been referred to the group through their GP/Practice Nurse/ Community Respiratory Team or via self - referral will be recruited in the community setting. It is hoped to recruit six to ten individuals to the study. These participants will be invited to take part in a focus group and thematic analysis of their recorded narrative will be used to explore the content, structure and context of their story.
It is hoped that the results will provide a more in depth understanding of the ways in which the phenomenon of loneliness impacts on the patient with COPD.REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SC/0173
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion