Primary care patients with mild or stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease need more support in disease management: a secondary analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Self-management skills are fundamental for patients living with a chronic condition such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Improvements in general practitioners' (GPs) levels of knowledge about COPD management were not transferred to improvements in patients' self-management skills.Patients' needs for support in COPD were substantial, and moreover, they were not constant over time: the longer from the latest exacerbation, the less continuity of care and the greater needs for renewed support.To help patients master self-management of COPD and be better prepared for future deteriorations, health professionals should start COPD patient education early and continue with it regularly, regardless of the current clinical stage of the patient.