This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the relationship between quality of chronic care delivery, self-management abilities, and wellbeing among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
The study was conducted in 2012 and included 548 (out of 1303; 42% response rate) patients with COPD enrolled in a COPD care program in the region of Noord-Kennemerland in The Netherlands. We employed a multilevel random-effects model (548 patients nested in 47 healthcare practices) to investigate the relationship between quality of chronic care delivery, self-management abilities, and patients’ wellbeing. In the multilevel analyses we controlled for patients’ background characteristics and health behaviors.
Multilevel analyses clearly showed a significant relationship between quality of chronic care delivery and wellbeing of patients with COPD ( P ≤ 0.001). When self-management abilities were included in the equation while controlling for background characteristics, health behaviors, and quality of chronic care delivery, these abilities were found to have a strong positive relationship with patients’ wellbeing ( P ≤ 0.001). Low educational level, single marital status, and physical exercise were not significantly associated with wellbeing when self-management abilities were included in the equation.