The PELICAN Study

the problem

There are 3 interventions that save lives in people with COPD:

1. Supplemental oxygen for resting hypoxemia
2. Intensive smoking cessation interventions
3. Non-invasive ventilation for COPD exacerbations

Source: GOLD guidelines 2016

But adherence to supplemental oxygen can be low:
“I’m embarrassed to use my oxygen tank.”
“I don’t think it works — I still get short of breath.”
“The doctor sends you home on O2, you don’t know you’ll be on it the rest of your life.”

Study Design

PELICAN is testing a care model that combines written self-management education materials and peer coaching phone sessions from the COPD InfoLine.

Over 500 adult patients with a diagnosis of COPD and a prescription for home oxygen were randomized to one of three self-management groups — Proactive PELICAN, Reactive PELICAN, or usual care.

Participant snapshot

PELICAN enrolled over 500 participants with a diagnosis of COPD and a prescription for home oxygen.

• Over half of participants were more than 60 years old. Over 80% had used supplemental oxygen for at least 12 months.
• Nearly all patients used a stationary oxygen concentrator plus at least one other piece of oxygen equipment to use outside the home. Oxygen tanks and portable oxygen concentrators were the two most common pieces of oxygen equipment.
• About half of the participants had been hospitalized in the past 12 months.

Coming soon: findings

The PELICAN team is hard at work analyzing information collected during the study. Results are expected to be available in the first half of 2017.

Staff + partners

Partners