Abstract

Abstract
Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a programme of exercise and education that has benefits on breathlessness, exercise capacity and quality of life in COPD. However, these benefits do not necessarily translate to an increase in daily physical activity and long-term behaviour change. Previous interventions to promote physical activity following pulmonary rehabilitation have had limited efficacy.

Aim: This paper reports the systematic and comprehensive development of an intervention to promote physical activity following pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD, using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW).
Methods: The eight steps outlined in the BCW were followed to develop an intervention, facilitated by stakeholder discussions to consider and evaluate the intervention’s affordability, practicability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, acceptability, side-effects and safety and equity (APEASE).

Results: The final intervention targeted patients’ capability, opportunity and motivation, incorporating four intervention functions delivered via four policy categories and thirteen Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs). The final intervention included 12-month support through provision of a pedometer and step diary, and addition of patients to a WhatsApp group populated by fellow pulmonary rehabilitation graduates and a ‘WhatsApp leader’.

Conclusion: The BCW enabled a systematic and comprehensive development of a novel, multicomponent intervention to promote physical activity following a community pulmonary rehabilitation programme in patients with COPD.