Kristen Holm, Ph.D.

Rates of adherence to supplemental oxygen therapy in people with COPD are often below 50 percent. Factors that likely contribute to poor adherence include embarrassment about using oxygen in public and the need for help from family members to manage heavy oxygen equipment. Currently there are no measures of the challenges to using oxygen. We have developed instruments to measure a range of highly promising personal and family factors likely to influence oxygen adherence. We will examine the extent to which these instruments predict adherence to supplemental oxygen. Findings can be used to develop interventions to change specific, modifiable behaviors, such as increasing family member involvement with oxygen logistics.

Update: In Year 1 of the project, 111 patients completed the instruments to measure personal and family factors likely to influence oxygen adherence. Data collection is ongoing, and will be completed in Year 2.