Reducing Chronic Breathlessness in Adults by Following a Self-guided, Internet Based Supportive Intervention (SELF-BREATHE) (SELF-BREATHE)

June 10, 2025 updated by: King's College Hospital NHS Trust

A Multicentre, Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Usual NHS Care to a Self-guided Internet-based Intervention (SELF-BREATHE) Plus Usual NHS Care to Reduce Breathlessness in Adults Living With Chronic Breathlessness

Background:

Some health conditions make breathing difficult and uncomfortable. When this happens every day, it is called chronic breathlessness. Over 3 million people living with heart and lung disease have chronic breathlessness in the UK.

Breathlessness is very difficult for patients themselves and their families, resulting in disability and feelings of fear, distress, and isolation. Due a to lack of supportive breathlessness services many patients frequently attend hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments seeking help.

Given the on-going challenges faced by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, such as long waiting times, staff shortages, increased demand for services because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to develop new ways to support those living with chronic breathlessness. One potential solution is to offer support online, as it is estimated that in the UK, 7 out of every 10 people with chronic breathlessness are internet users.

With the help of patients and NIHR funding the research team lead by Dr Charles Reilly, developed an online breathlessness supportive website called SELF-BREATHE. SELF-BREATHE provides information and self-management tools such as breathing exercises, that patients can do at home themselves.

SELF-BREATHE has been tested as part of its development. SELF-BREATHE is acceptable and valued by patients. But what is unknown is whether SELF-BREATHE improves patients' breathlessness and their life? This is the question this research seeks to answer.

Aims

  1. To test if using SELF-BREATHE for six-weeks improves patients' breathlessness, their quality of life and whether SELF-BREATHE should be offered within the NHS
  2. To see if patients opt to continue to use SELF-BREATHE after six-weeks and what benefits this may have for patients.

Methods

The research team are undertaking a randomised controlled trial. For this, 246 people living with chronic breathlessness will be recruited in to this study. Each person will be randomly chosen by a computer to continue with their usual care or their usual care plus access to SELF-BREATHE. All study participants will complete questionnaires at the start of the study, thereafter at seven and twelve weeks after randomisation.

These questionnaires will ask patients about 1) their breathlessness and its effect on their life and 2) planned and unplanned hospital visits. At the end of the study, we will compare answers to these questionnaires between the two groups at seven and 12 weeks.

This will tell if SELF-BREATHE improved patients' breathlessness and reduced their need for unplanned hospital visits e.g., A&E attendances due to breathlessness.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
246

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United Kingdom
      • London, United Kingdom, MK40 4DG
        • Recruiting
        • King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults ≥ 18 years of age
  • Chronic Breathlessness at rest and / or exertion
  • Chronic Breathlessness (CB) defined as breathlessness that persists (>3months) despite pharmacological treatment of the underlying disease including, but not limited to; cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD), bronchiectasis, chronic fibrotic lung disease following SARS-CoV2 infection
  • Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea score ≥ 2 (MRC 2= short of breath when hurrying on the level or walking up a slight hill
  • Availability to a computer, tablet, or smart phone with internet access
  • Able to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Breathlessness of unknown cause
  • Primary diagnosis of chronic hyperventilation syndrome
  • Currently participating in a rehabilitation programme e.g.,pulmonary/cardiac rehabilitation (patients that have completed PR >4-weeks will be eligible).

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: SELF-BREATHE (Intervention)
SELF-BREATHE + usual NHS care (Intervention)
Other: SELF-BREATHE
SELF-BREATHE is on online supportive self - management intervention for individuals living with chronic breathlessness due to respiratory disease. SELF-BREATHE provides user with educational resources about breathlessness and self - management techniques such as breathing exercises, goal setting which aims to help with their breathlessness.
No Intervention: Usual NHS care (Control)
Participants randomised to the control group continue with usual NHS care, as was available to them prior to entry into the trial

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) Worst Breathlessness
Time Frame: previous 24 hours
The primary outcome is patient rated intensity of worst breathlessness over the previous 24 hours, using a validated 11-point (0-10) numerical rating scale (NRS), where 0 = no breathlessness, and 10 = worst imaginable breathlessness (Patient self-reported out-come measure)
previous 24 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
King's College Hospital NHS Trust

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Charles C Reilly, PhD,MSc,BSc, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 4, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 18, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 18, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 22, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 13, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 10, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 334979 V1 15/01/2024
  • NIHR302904 (Other Grant/Funding Number: National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR))
  • 24/LO/0142 (Other Identifier: Research Ethics Committee (REC))

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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