‘Teach me how to look after myself’: What people with bronchiectasis want from education in a pulmonary rehabilitation setting

Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended for people with bronchiectasis. Various education topics are included in these programmes, but the content is largely guided by the needs of people with other respiratory conditions. Objectives: With the education topics applicable to people with bronchiectasis unclear, we aimed to explore the perspective of adults with this condition on relevant educational topics in a pulmonary rehabilitation context. Methods: Participants from the Australian Bronchiectasis Registry were invited to undertake a semi-structured interview. Interview transcripts were coded independently, with themes established by consensus (two researchers). Results: Twenty-one people participated. The major themes were greater clarity on the underlying cause of bronchiectasis and prognosis. Most sought knowledge about self-management strategies and treatments to address extra-pulmonary symptoms. Participants requested more information on physiotherapy options and the role of exercise and physical activity outside of pulmonary rehabilitation. Preferences were mixed for the education delivery model. Conclusions: We have identified unmet educational topics of interest for people with bronchiectasis. Our study provides a framework for education topics desired by adults with bronchiectasis within a pulmonary rehabilitation setting. The topics identified will guide development of an education curriculum for pulmonary rehabilitation that is more fit-for-purpose for people with bronchiectasis.