Digital cognitive behavioural therapy for quality of life and psychological outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently accompanied by anxiety, depression and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Psychological comorbidities worsen symptom burden, daily functioning and self-management and are associated with more frequent exacerbations and higher mortality.

Digital cognitive behavioural therapy (dCBT), in which core cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) content is delivered predominantly via web-based or app-based platforms, offers a potentially scalable approach to addressing these needs. However, no systematic review and meta-analysis has yet synthesised randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence on the effects of dCBT on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in adults with COPD.

This protocol describes the planned methods for such a review. Methods and analysis We will include RCTs enrolling adults (≥18 years) with COPD that compare dCBT with usual care, wait-list, attention control, non-CBT psychological or educational interventions, or other non-CBT digital interventions.

For this review, dCBT will be defined as an intervention that explicitly states a CBT framework or CBT techniques, delivers most therapeutic content through digital platforms and uses digital CBT as the principal active component.