De ICU KvL-studie /
The ICU QOL-study

Research question: How do COPD patients experience intensive care unit admission because of exacerbation and what is the impact on their quality of life?

Even though there is a relationship between frequent exacerbations of COPD, hospitalization and health related quality of life, there is little research on the impact of ICU admission for this group of COPD patients. Up to now, researches focused mainly on mortality within hospitals. Quality of life and utilization of health services received scant attention.

Treatment of this exacerbation in the ICU has an impact on patients. Feelings of fear, panic en loss of control due to the mask can occur in non-invasive ventilation. Mechanical ventilation has a high morbidity, associated with ventilator pneumonia, and mortality. Several studies have been published in which standardized quality of life questionnaires were used to measure the impact of ICU admission. Several studies have reported low quality of life due to ICU-admission but there were also conflicting results.

Research focused on the perceptions of patients en their caregivers about the severity of COPD in life and the perception of ICU admission. Until now, no literature that considers the experiences of COPD patients with ICU admission because of exacerbation and its impact on the quality of life has been found. Therefore, this study aims to investigate this research topic.

The primary objective is to answer the question: How do COPD patients experience intensive care unit admission because of exacerbation and what is the impact on their quality of life.

Secondary objective: In the future, this would provide information on the treatment, support and care of this patient population which promotes their quality of life.

This study uses a cross-sectional design involving an in-depth interview. A total of 8 patients will undergo an in-depth interview for approximately 60 minutes.

Eight COPD patients, admitted to the ICU of Medisch Spectrum Twente, due to exacerbation of COPD from September 2012 to January 2014 will be approached.

Primary objective: The primary objective is to answer the question: How do COPD patients experience intensive care unit admission because of exacerbation and what is the impact on their quality of life. This study aims to understand the perspective of COPD patients’ admission and treatment, and to gain insight in the perspective of the impact that ICU admission, due to COPD exacerbation, has on health related quality of life. The study seeks to gather information about experiences and quality of life that may improve decision making in admitting to the ICU. Also, the study may contribute to the provision of information on possible ICU admission and treatment in Medisch Spectrum Twente.

Secundary objective: In the future, this would provide information on the treatment, support and care of this patient population which promotes their quality of life. This study may contribute to the decision making process on ICU admission for patients with exacerbation of COPD.

Not applicable

This study uses a cross-sectional design involving an in-depth interview. A total of 8 patients will undergo an in-depth interview for approximately 60 minutes.