Scottish bronchiectasis online self-help guide launched

Thousands of people diagnosed with bronchiectasis in Scotland are to benefit from new online videos designed to help them ‘visualise’ and manage their condition.

The service, developed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC), provides patients with videos to help them visualise their illness and follow step-by-step guides to manage their condition at home.

It is the first time the method has been used in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and following positive feedback from patients and clinicians, the board hopes it can be used as part of treatment plans for a much wider range of respiratory illnesses across the country.

A long-term condition where the airways of the lungs become abnormally widened, bronchiectasis can lead to a build-up of excess mucus causing a chronic cough and make the lungs more vulnerable to infection.

Greater numbers of patients are now diagnosed with bronchiectasis following detailed lung scans, with current estimates suggesting one in 1000 people in the UK have the condition.

The new guide is funded by the Scottish government’s technology-enabled care programme.

Pamela Vaughn, advanced specialist physiotherapist in respiratory medicine at NHSGGC, said:

“Bronchiectasis is a condition which can be difficult for patients to understand and manage. These videos make it much easier for patients to visualise it, and more importantly, to manage it.

“They act as a simple to use reminder of the different techniques available to clear the airways and because our own specialists developed them, they complement patient consultations and care programmes within NHSGGC.

She added: “We find utilising videos to engage with patients is a valuable tool to empower people to manage their condition from the comfort of their homes and within their communities.

“Delivering person-centred care is at the heart of every decision we take and the new resource plays well into this approach.

“Feedback from patients so far has been overwhelmingly positive and we’ll certainly be exploring other ways to develop videos for other conditions which help us continue to deliver safe and effective care to patients.”