To report on some important research findings, Macau Science and Technology Development Foundation held a research debriefing on 24 March 2014, in which research findings on biotechnology and Traditional Chinese Medicine were presented. In the seminar, KWNC Assistant Professor Ng Wai I presented her research project “An Exploratory Trial for Examining Effects of Self-management Education on Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Macau”.

Assistant Professor Ng Wai I’s research findings have raised widespread attention in the local society. During the interview with the media, Professor Ng expressed that she has spent three years to examine the effects of self-management education on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Macau. Through performing clinical trials, it is discovered that both public and private medical institutions do not give correct instructions to patients about using medical spray, hence leading to undermined treatment effect as well as return visits of patients. In the event of recurrence of disease, patients tend to blame on the ineffectiveness of the medications and simply throw them away. “It is wasteful that some patients got a whole lot of medications home without actually using them,” said Professor Ng. To rectify this situation, medical institutions are suggested to make improvement back from the starting point where both doctors and nurses shall educate patients the correct ways of self-management and self-care. Professor Ng also emphasizes the importance of offering patients detailed information about their current conditions and the possible treatment they could receive in order to prevent them from spending time visiting doctors after doctors or consuming folk remedies that may aggravate their disease.

Professor Ng proposes to instil self-management and self-care knowledge into patients right after they have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For instance, doctors shall tell patients explicitly that the disease is incurable while it could be alleviated through long-term treatment. After obtaining clear explanations, patients will be more willing to comply with doctor’s instructions and will not attempt to use other medications. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease normally turns severe at night; as a result, in an effort to reduce patients’ recurrent visits to the emergency department, doctors and nurses shall explain to patients in advance and teach them to adjust the spray dosage when necessary. In addition, since patients often experience shortness of breath, doctors and nurses shall demonstrate to patients how they may regulate the frequency of breath in case they find difficulties in breathing. Professor Ng added, “To spend time teaching patients the correct ways of using medications seems to have created more work for doctors and nurses for the time being, however, in the long run, medical burden could be eased upon the drop of patients’ repeat visits.”

Professor Ng also pointed out that both the government and community associations have been offering numerous health lectures to citizens, nevertheless, citizens may feel confused because they may not be knowledgeable enough to distinguish the right from the wrong. Moreover, since patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have frequent cough, they are often discriminated against as infectious disease patients and are thus discouraged from seeking treatment. For these reasons, Professor Ng suggests enhancing citizens’ correct understanding of the disease by strengthening the relevant education.