Tuberc Respir Dis.  2024 Jan;87(1):100-114. 10.4046/trd.2023.0077.

Perception of Long-Term Oxygen Therapy for Chronic Lung Diseases May Affect Poor Adherence in Korea

• Kim HJ
• Lee H
• Yang JY
• Lee JH
• Ra Sw
• Hong S
• Lee HY
• Kim SH
• Kim MY
• Lee HK

• KMID: 2549217
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2023.0077

Abstract

Background
Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) improves the survival of patients with hypoxemia due to chronic respiratory diseases. The clinical outcomes of LTOT are strongly associated with patient adherence. To improve the adherence of patients, physicians have focused on the efficacy of LTOT. However, poor adherence may stem from patients’ perceptions of LTOT. Herein we evaluated patients’ perceptions of LTOT affecting adherence.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey study using descriptive, open, and closed-ended questionnaire. Patients using oxygen therapy (OT) or requiring it but avoiding OT responded to the questionnaires at three university hospitals.
Results
Seventy-nine patients responded to the questionnaires. The number of patients using home and portable OT was 69 (93%) and 37 (46.3%), respectively. Patients with good adherence were 22 (30.1%). Among patients with good adherence, 90.9% used oxygen according to physicians’ prescriptions whereas only 37.3% of those with poor adherence followed physicians’ prescriptions (p<0.01). The reasons for avoiding using home OT were fear of permanent use (50%), unwanted attention (40%), and lack of symptoms (40%). They avoided portable OT because of unwanted attention (39%), heaviness (31.7%), and lack of symptoms (21.6%).
Conclusion
Patients on LTOT had the perception of the misunderstanding the effects of OT and of psychosocial barriers to initiate or use LTOT. Considering these findings, health professionals need to provide effective education on the purpose of LTOT to improve patient adherence to OT and provide sufficient support for the management of psychosocial barriers in patients using LTOT.

Keyword

Chronic Respiratory Disease; Long-Term Oxygen Therapy; Perception