Abstract

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF PATIENT COUNSELLING ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE SCORE AMONG ASTHMA AND COPD PATIENTS

The two most prevalent lung conditions are asthma and COPD. Our research aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of asthma and COPD patients. Three elements mostly determine the present medical outcomes: Knowledge of the diseases, patients' attitudes towards the diseases, and patients' confidence in their ability to control the diseases are the first three factors. We conducted a prospective interventional study at Karuna Medical College, Palakkad, from November 2022 to February 2023. In total, 88 patients were included in the trial, which were chosen based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We gathered the medical records of people with COPD and asthma. 42 COPD patients and 46 patients with asthma were present. Findings showed that KAP was significantly higher following counseling. A properly constructed questionnaire was utilized to evaluate the patients' knowledge, attitude, and practice about the disease. According to baseline KAP patient surveys, patients' perceptions of their illnesses are negative. After that, patient counseling was given regarding how to use inhalers properly, risk factors, symptoms, and complications. After a month, a follow-up survey was conducted using the same KAP questionnaire, which was created separately for COPD and asthma. Findings showed that KAP was significantly higher following counseling. As a result, we draw the conclusion from our research that patients with asthma and COPD benefit from the clinical pharmacist's health education, which improves the effectiveness of their treatment