breathlessness

Living with breathlessness

Living with breathlessness can be very difficult, affecting every area of life. However, there are things that  can do to make life easier. This project addresses the large body of research on breathlessness to understand how patients' quality of life can be improved.

About the project

Funder: University of Hull
Time frame: 2014 - 2017: Completed
Publications: European Respiratory JournalBritish Journal of General Practice and Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Contact for more details: Professor Miriam Johnson and Dr Ann Hutchinson

The aim of this project was to explore the large body of qualitative research on the experience of and response to chronic breathlessness due to a variety of medical conditions, with regard to informing directions for practice for maximising quality of life and optimising clinical interactions.

Living with breathlessness can be very difficult, affecting every area of life. However, there are things they can do to make life easier. People can learn new ways of coping by seeking help for their breathlessness from professionals who are sensitive to what it is like living with breathlessness.

This research lead to the development of a new concept 'Breathing Space' which helps us to understand how to improve quality of life for people living with breathlessness.

breathing-space