Current Status of the Application of the Empowerment Theory in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a public health problem, and it can’t be cured. In addition, patients with COPD are often passive in coping with health education. Empowerment theory emphasizes authorization for the patients, and gets them involved so as to improve the level of disease participation and disease management of them, just make up the current shortage. There are many foreign studies on the theory of empowerment about COPD, and the empowerment measurement tools are diversified. But there are fewer related researches in China. Therefore, this paper reviews the application of empowerment theory in COPD patients in terms of its definition, measuring tools, application in patients with COPD and influential factors affecting empowerment in patients with COPD in order to provide a new perspective for COPD research in China.