Evaluation of the nationwide implementation of „Living well with COPD” self-management program in Switzerland

<bold>Background:</bold> Since 2019, “Living well with COPD” has been nationwide further implemented by the Swiss Lung Associations. The aim of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the real-world effectiveness and the coaches’ experience until today. <bold>Methods:</bold> To evaluate effectiveness, we assessed exercise capacity (1-min sit-to-stand test, 1-min STS), disease specific quality of life (Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire, CRQ), symptoms (COPD Assessment Test, CAT), number of exacerbations (<1 year), and change in smoking behaviour at baseline and at the end of the program (after 14 months). We conducted personal interviews to assess the coaches’ experience with their own training and specific programme elements. <bold>Results:</bold> 12 Cantonal Lung Associations included in total 389 persons with COPD (mean age 68 years, 53.9% female), 212 patients completed follow-up assessments so far. The patients showed statistically significant improvements in the 1-min STS (21.5 vs. 23.9 repetitions, p=0.0003), 2 of 4 CRQ subscales (fatigue subscale: 4.2 vs. 4.4 units, p=0.03; mastery subscale: 4.7 vs. 5.0 units, p=0.04), and CAT (17.3 vs. 15.6, p=0.009), had less outpatient treated exacerbations <1 year (0.76 vs. 0.54, p=0.04), and 14 persons stopped smoking (p=0.04). The 11 interviewed coaches appreciated the practically relevant own training, could better integrate the additional workload into their daily business than during the pilot and suggested several specific adaptations. Filling-out the action plan proved challenging. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> The “Living well with COPD” program was successfully implemented nationwide in real-world settings and showed a positive impact on health status of persons with COPD.