Coping with chronic respiratory difficulty.

The major point of this article is that the pathologic process of chronic respiratory disease interacts with psychologic and psychosocial factors as determinants of the respiratory patient's quality of life. The assessment, support, and reinforcement of a patient's psychosocial assets and ability to cope with chronic respiratory difficulty can help enhance that quality. This outcome should be a primary consideration of the nurse caring for a respiratory patient despite the fact that, in this era of cost containment, improved life quality may be an outcome that is overlooked, ignored, or undervalued.