P09 - Using the CAT Tool in COPD Management

In this quantitative pilot study, the context of education among healthcare providers in a long-term care facility was carried out with keen attention to understanding the knowledge base on the COPD management protocol. The major study objective was seeing if educating the nursing staff about the COPD management protocols and the use of the COPD assessment tool (CAT) would help reduce COPD exacerbation rates among residents in the facility. COPD exacerbation symptoms examined in the study were dyspnea leading to hospitalizations, increased cough, and change in sputum. The rates were obtained for October to December 2018 and then compared to the rates 30- days post-educational intervention implementation. The theoretical framework for the research is based on the transtheoretical model which gives much attention to the stages of behavior change among nursing staff and how these stages could be controlled and managed. The model is used as the framework for the practitioner educational program on how well they could implement the COPD protocols to improve patient outcomes. Participants were 15 nurses engaged in direct patient care in the nursing facility. After signing informed consent, they were given a pre-test, followed by the education on COPD exacerbation symptoms and use of the CAT tool in assessing early COPD symptoms. COPD exacerbation knowledge and knowledge of the CAT tool improved as indicated by positive changes in the post test scores. Additionally, there were reductions in dyspnea leading to hospitalizations, increase in cough, and changes in sputum. The educational intervention had a statistically significant impact in increasing participants COPD management and CAT tool knowledge by 6.83% from pre-intervention. This shows education and use of an assessment tool in monitoring early COPD exacerbation can lead to reduction in exacerbation rates among residents in long-term care facilities.