Capella FPX 4025 Assessment 4

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4025 Research and Evidence-Based Decision Making

Prof. Name

Date

Presenting Your PICO(T) Process Findings to Your Professional Peers

The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diminishes lung performance and produces life quality reductions and higher health service requirements. Smoking functions as the main risk element for COPD, yet stopping tobacco use remains the best approach to prevent disease advancement while enhancing patient results. The challenge to stop smoking exists because people face addiction and psychological distress in combination with their need for proper support networks (Choi et al., 2021). This assessment evaluates whether structured smoking cessation programs work better than standard counseling for assisting COPD patients to stop smoking while improving their lung function during a six-month follow-up period.

Diagnosis: Outcomes, Risks, and Complications

The COPD forces patients to deal with ongoing air passage blockages while causing breathing problems. The main cause of this disease stems from extended contact with irritants and smokers represent its principal cause. A total of fourteen million Americans suffer from COPD. The symptoms of COPD include persistent cough in addition to shortness of breath, wheezing noises, and frequent infections of the respiratory system. COPD causes patients to lose pulmonary function, so their daily activities become limited, and their quality of life changes negatively (Boers et al., 2023).

COPD runs its course differently based on disease extent and treatment effectiveness. Proper intervention is needed to prevent patients from showing declining lung function because they face increased hospital visits because of exacerbations in addition to worse health outcomes. COPD triggers both cardiovascular ailments and the development of osteoporosis together with muscular deterioration and depressive symptoms. COPD becomes more dangerous in patients who lack healthcare services while also showing poor disease control and who maintain their smoking behaviors.

The advanced stage of COPD ends in respiratory failure, which leads healthcare providers to give long-term oxygen therapy or utilize mechanical ventilation devices (American Lung Association [ALA], 2024). The continued smoking behavior of someone diagnosed with COPD results in accelerated lung function deterioration and more medical facility stays and increases the possibility of death. Evidence-based treatment combined with smoking cessation enables patients to control disease progression and enhance their health quality. Structured smoking cessation programs establish themselves as vital components in COPD management because they help patients understand existing risks.

Research Question Using PICO(T) Criteria

To determine the most effective intervention for smoking cessation among COPD patients, a structured research question was formulated using the PICO(T) framework. The research question is: In adult patients diagnosed with COPD (P), how does a structured smoking cessation program incorporating behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy (I) compared to standard smoking cessation counseling (C) affect the smoking cessation rates and pulmonary function (O) within six months (T)?

The Population (P) is adult patients diagnosed with COPD. This population was chosen because COPD is strongly linked to smoking, and cessation is essential in disease management. The Intervention (I) is a structured smoking cessation program incorporating behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), varenicline, or bupropion. Multi-component interventions improve quit rates compared to single interventions (Onwuzo et al., 2024). For Comparison (C) standard smoking cessation counseling typically involves brief advice or educational materials from healthcare professionals.

The Outcomes (O) are measured from sustained smoking cessation rates and improved pulmonary function. Measuring these outcomes provides insight into the intervention’s effectiveness. The time (T) for this intervention is six months. Sustained abstinence beyond this period predicts long-term cessation success. This structured question facilitates a targeted investigation into the effectiveness of smoking-cessation interventions in COPD management, enabling evidence-based practice improvements.

Summary of Evidence from Peer-Reviewed Sources

A thorough evaluation of research articles established the essential investigations concerning smoking cessation interventions among COPD patients. The researchers used reliable studies with appropriate relevance and robust methodology to find evidence-based guidelines for practical implementation. The study conducted by Wang et al. (2024) investigated how COPD patients responded to smoking cessation through meta-analysis research. The research group assessed 11 trials containing data from over 13000 participants to show how lung function improved by 6.72% FEV1% while both the 6-MWT distance extended by 64.46 meters together with mortality being 25% lower (RR = 0.75). This study gains high credibility because it consolidates findings from various high-quality trials, improving bias reduction and operational applicability.

Han et al. (2023) conducted a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to analyze the outcomes of structured smoking cessation treatments that integrated cognitive behavioral therapy with pharmaceutical treatments. Standard counseling yielded fewer quit success rates than structured intervention programs for smoking cessation. RCTs function as the top methodology in clinical research because they provide strong results that also apply to various situations. Fu et al. (2022) examined how the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model can be utilized for COPD patient smoking cessation.

The research findings demonstrate that routine clinical practice needs evidence-based interventions for better pulmonary outcomes while controlling disease progression. The research shows credibility through its provision of an organized methodology to implement research findings within clinical environments. According to Hu and fellow researchers, the rate of successful smoking abstinence reached 27.6% after six months in their study (2021). Studies confirm that the selected period addresses successful smoking cessation evaluation and demonstrates why structured cessation interventions produce lasting results. Strong evidence from these varied resources demonstrates that structured programs for smoking cessation represent the most beneficial method to enhance both COPD patients’ quit success rates and their pulmonary conditions.

Answer to the PICO(T) Question Based on Evidence Analysis

The evidence consistently supports the superiority of structured smoking cessation programs over standard counseling for COPD patients. Wang et al. (2024) demonstrate that smoking cessation significantly improves lung function and reduces mortality risk, reinforcing the necessity of effective cessation strategies. Han et al. (2023) confirm that structured interventions combining behavioral support and pharmacotherapy yield higher quit rates than standard approaches. Fu et al. (2022) highlight the importance of evidence-based practice models in ensuring the successful implementation of cessation programs in clinical settings.

Finally, Hu et al. (2021) validate the six-month timeframe as a reliable indicator of long-term cessation success. The assumption underlying this analysis is that patient adherence to cessation programs remains consistent across different populations. However, variations in socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and psychological factors may influence outcomes. Future research should explore tailored interventions to address these disparities.

Key Steps of Care Based on Evidence-Based Recommendations

Evidence-based recommendations from reviewed literature offer methods to enhance both smoking cessation rates and health results for COPD patients. Precision assessment through Patient Assessment examines both tobacco history together with nicotine dependency and maintains a track of patient motivation and identifies obstacles to stop smoking. The program will utilize behavioral counseling techniques alongside pharmacotherapy methods such as NRT, varenicline, or bupropion for its tailored smoking cessation plan. The Follow-Up and Support process includes planned check-ins that occur at one, three, and six months to reiterate counseling advice, resolve difficulties, and motivate patients continuously.

Patients receive COPD management training along with information about how smoking cessation positively affects both lung capacity and general health condition. Experienced healthcare professionals from nursing and respiratory therapy departments and primary care providers should collaborate to deliver extensive assistance (Choi et al., 2021). The JHNEBP model should be integrated with clinical practice to structure the implementation of cessation programs by using evidence-based practice models. The most suitable plan combines evidence-based practice alongside three supportive methods to maximize patient results.

Conclusion

COPD is a progressive disease with health risks in individuals who continue smoking. A structured smoking cessation program incorporating behavioral counseling and pharmacotherapy is more effective than standard counseling alone. The evidence strongly supports structured interventions in improving smoking cessation rates and pulmonary function. By implementing evidence-based cessation programs, healthcare professionals can significantly enhance disease management and patient quality of life, ultimately reducing COPD-related complications and mortality.

References

American Lung Association (ALA). (2024). Learn about COPD | American Lung Association. Lung.org; American Lung Association. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/copd/learn-about-copd

Boers, E., Barrett, M., Su, J. G., Benjafield, A. V., Sinha, S., Kaye, L., Zar, H. J., Vuong, V., Tellez, D., Gondalia, R., Rice, M. B., Nunez, C. M., Wedzicha, J. A., & Malhotra, A. (2023). Global burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease through 2050. Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, 6(12), e2346598. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.46598 

Choi, H. K., Vargas, J. A., Lin, C., & Singrey, A. (2021). The current state of tobacco cessation treatment. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 88(7), 393–404. https://doi.org/10.3949/ccjm.88a.20099 

Capella FPX 4025 Assessment 4

Fu, Y., Chapman, E. J., Boland, A. C., & Bennett, M. I. (2022). Evidence-based management approaches for patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): A practice review. Palliative Medicine, 36(5), 770–782. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692163221079697

Han, M. K., Fu, Y., Ji, Q., Duan, X., & Fang, X. (2023). The effectiveness of theory-based smoking cessation interventions in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis. BioMed Central Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16441-w

Hu, Y., Xie, J., Chang, X., Chen, J., Wang, W., Zhang, L., Zhong, R., Chen, O., Yu, X., & Zou, Y. (2021). Characteristics and predictors of abstinence among smokers of a smoking cessation clinic in Hunan China. Frontiers in Public Health, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.615817

Capella FPX 4025 Assessment 4

Onwuzo, C. N., Olukorode, J., Sange, W., Orimoloye, D. A., Udojike, C., Omoragbon, L., Hassan, A. E., Falade, D. M., Omiko, R., Odunaike, O. S., Momoh, P. A. A., Addeh, E., Onwuzo, S., & Erameh, U. J. (2024). A review of smoking cessation interventions: Efficacy, strategies for implementation, and future directions. Cureus, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.52102 

Wang, Z., Qiu, Y., Ji, X., & Dong, L. (2024). Effects of smoking cessation on individuals with COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1433269