Patients positive about Living with COPD book
The informative book Living with COPD, released earlier this year, has received positive reviews from patients with the chronic respiratory disease COPD. “The book encourages COPD patients to play an active role in their own treatment”, says pulmonologist Geertjan Wesseling from Maastricht UMC+. Wesseling specialises in cystic fibrosis, asthma and COPD and is programme leader of the CAPHRI research group 'Asthma and COPD'. He co-wrote the book together with Onno van Schayck, scientific director of CAPHRI.
The Netherlands has nearly half a million COPD patients, and Wesseling treats many on a daily basis. “Patients quickly forget much of the information that doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners give them. I’ve found that patients clearly need written information so they can read through it again at home.” Living with COPD describes what causes the disease, what to expect after diagnosis and how it affects patients and their families. While the disease is incurable, it is manageable. Medication and a healthy lifestyle can improve quality of life, and patients can actively contribute to their treatment by not smoking, maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough exercise.”The patient is essential to the treatment”, Wesseling explains. “That’s why it’s so important that they remain informed.”
Michael Rutgers, director of the Asthma Foundation, referred to the book as more of a manual to help patients start treatment. And this is also how patients themselves view the book, Wesseling has recently realised. He hopes that as many COPD patients as possible read the book. “That’s why it should be sold at a cheaper price. It now costs €22.50, which may discourage some patients from buying it. ”