| When caring for people with chronic cardiopulmonary disease/cancer how often do you assess severity of breathlessness? (select as many as apply) |
| At admission/initial consultation | 31 (66.0) |
| At discharge/final consultation | 24 (51.1) |
| Daily until discharge/each occasion of service | 18 (38.3) |
| With all outpatient/ambulatory reviews | 18 (38.3) |
| More often than daily/more often than once each occasion of service | 9 (19.1) |
| Which description best characterises your approach to assessing breathlessness severity? |
| I ask the patient to rate the severity of shortness of breath using a categorical scale (e.g. somewhat SOB, no SOB, improved or worsened compared with a prior date) | 26 (55.3) |
| Othera | 9 (19.1) |
| I ask the patient whether or not they are having shortness of breath | 7 (14.9) |
| Blank | 3 (6.4) |
| I don’t regularly ask about breathlessness severity | 2 (4.3) |
| Awareness of breathlessness severity affects my management by influencing my decision: (select all that apply) |
| To add non-pharmacologic-based, symptom-oriented treatment for breathlessness, such as fans or pursed lip breathing technique | 39 (83.0) |
| To review current strategies to manage breathlessness including inhaler use | 34 (72.3) |
| To refer person on for additional therapeutic or social servicesIncluding: palliative care/psychology/other | 32 (68.1) |
| To intensify treatment of the patient’s underlying condition | 24 (51.1) |
| To add/refer for pharmacologic-based, symptom-oriented treatment for breathlessness, such as opioids | 19 (40.4) |
| To pursue additional diagnostic testing | 16 (34.0) |
| Regarding timing of discharge (for hospitalised people) | 11 (23.4) |
| Which of the following non-pharmacological/non-surgical therapies are effective for the relief of chronic breathlessness? (select all that apply) |
| Pursed lip breathing | 43 (91.5) |
| Pulmonary rehabilitation/exercise training | 42 (89.4) |
| Pacing/fatigue management | 42 (89.4) |
| Positioning to alleviate breathlessness | 41 (87.2) |
| Relaxation techniques | 40 (85.1) |
| Cool air/fan | 40 (85.1) |
| Walking aids and home modification | 40 (85.1) |
| Mindfulness techniques | 37 (78.7) |
| Cognitive behavioural strategies | 34 (72.3) |
| Non-invasive ventilation | 23 (48.9) |
| Oxygen for non-hypoxaemic patients | 14 (29.8) |
| Other (free text responses:don’t know; high flow nasal cannula; some patients report use of airway clearance devices help their breathlessness | 3 (6.4) |
