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NIH grant 1K23AG104027-01: Preserving Independence and Quality of Life in Older Adults with COPD Initiating Supplemental Oxygen
Institute: {'code': 'AG', 'abbreviation': 'NIA', 'name': 'National Institute on Aging', 'admin_org_id': '12500002', 'admin_funding_url': ''}. PI: Angela Suen. Award: $190188.
Start: 2026-09-11T00:00:00.
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common progressive chronic lung disease highly
prevalent in older age. One in four older U.S. adults with COPD — over 1.5 million people – have hypoxic
respiratory failure and use long-term supplemental oxygen every year. While oxygen therapy can prolong life
and relieve symptoms, these benefits come with tradeoffs. Bulky tanks, stationary concentrators, and long
tubing can restrict mobility and make routine activities such as showering, cooking, or leaving the house
significantly more difficult. Despite the profound consequences of this transition, clinicians frequently regard
oxygen initiation as routine. Patients typically receive only brief, informal instruction, leaving them and their
caregivers to navigate the complex burdens of therapy on their own. As a result, clinicians miss opportunities
to address the personal, social, and environmental factors which could mitigate loss of functional disability and
quality of life for older adults initiating oxygen therapy. In order to address this, Dr. Suen developed a person-
centered clinical framework to oxygen initiation. However, three knowledge gaps impede operationalizing this
framework into clinical interventions to preserve independence and quality of life, outcomes which older adults
deemed as critically important. The objective of this K23 proposal is to apply mixed methods and early trial
design approaches to develop, refine, and pilot test an intervention which optimizes independence and quality
of life in older adults with COPD initiating oxygen therapy. In Aim 1, we will identify sociodemographic and
clinical subgroups at risk of loss of independence and reduced quality of life by using the national-
representative HRS cohort (n~2,500). This will identify the target population for our proposed intervention. In
Aim 2, we will develop a deep understanding of lived experiences of using oxygen in the home community
using ethnographic methods and semi-structured interviews with 20 patients and their caregivers (if available).
We will use quantitative and qualitative data from Aims 1 and 2 to create a mixed methods joint display to
integrate findings and develop a prototype intervention. Then we will iteratively refine the prototype intervention
with 3-4 multi-stakeholder clinician focus groups to yield an intervention ready for pilot testing. In Aim 3, we will
conduct feasibility pilot testing with 20 patients linked to their caregivers and prescribing clinicians (if available)
to assess recruitment feasibility, fidelity, usability and acceptability. This innovative proposal employs a multi-
disciplinary approach grounded in geriatric principles to comprehensively meet the needs of older adults with
COPD starting supplemental oxygen therapy. Through this proposal, Dr. Suen will obtain additional training in
advanced epidemiology, ethnographic and qualitative methods, and early phase trial design. This proposal will
support Dr. Suen’s long-term goal to become an independent clinician-investigator focused on developing and
implementing interventions that improve the health of older adults with COPD.document fetched 2026-09-20 02:42