Making waves – promoting a positive life experience for COPD patients: Ripple 2

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem in the UK. It is the second most common cause of NHS emergency admissions and causes one in 20 deaths. A survey by the British Lung Foundation found that 90% of people with COPD were unable to participate in socially important activities.

A Shine 2014 project, RIPPLE: Respiratory Innovation – Promoting a Positive Life Experience, applied an asset-based community development approach to improve wellbeing and reduce the high levels of anxiety and social isolation observed in people with severe COPD. The Coventry based project enabled individuals to be more active and involved in the community, resulting in increased mental wellbeing; increase in their confidence in their ability to self-manage their condition; and preliminary evidence that shows a reduction in unplanned hospital admissions.

This Spreading Improvement project will involve implementing the RIPPLE model in six local health economies in the East and West Midlands region. The project team will engage a wide group of practitioners and patients in a social movement and community of practice; comprehensively reconfiguring physician and nursing support for people with COPD.

There will also be further investigation of the issues around patient anxiety for this group of people, in particular their reduced ability to access low cost high value treatments, such as smoking cessation, because of their anxiety.

The project team believe that this project will lead to additional spread nationally as the model becomes accepted as well-evidenced best practice, rather than an interesting single innovation.

Contact details

For further information about the project, please email Paul Dodd, Programme Specialist at South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG.