Rehabilitation Nursing On The Self-Management Of The Elderly Person With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with a significant impact on quality of life. Self-management is crucial for controlling the disease, reducing exacerbations, and decreasing hospital admissions. The aim of this study is to identify the gains attributable to Rehabilitation Nursing care in empowering self-management in elderly individuals with COPD. Methodology: A Rapid Literature Review (RLR) was conducted, including four randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and two quasi-experimental studies, obtained from EBSCOhost between 2018 and 2023. Results: This study analyzed self-management interventions in 505 elderly individuals with COPD (mean age 70.6 years, 66.9% male). Most studies presented a low risk of bias. The interventions, including physical and cognitive rehabilitation, educational programs, and technology-based interventions, resulted in improvements in quality of life, well-being, functionality, self-management, self-efficacy, and self-care, with sustained gains in patient knowledge and activation. Additionally, significant improvements were observed in physical symptoms, such as dyspnea, and emotional symptoms, such as anxiety. Conclusion: Our review highlights the central role of Rehabilitation Nursing in empowering the elderly for effective COPD self-management. The implementation of these interventions improves disease management, autonomy, and quality of life for patients. These interventions show great potential for reducing costs associated with exacerbations and hospitalizations, promoting a patient-centered, integrated, holistic, and personalized approach, essential for economic sustainability and better health outcomes.