Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention (eMBI) in management of dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung disease: A randomized clinical trial

Dyspnea and cough are frequent symptoms in ILD patients. The management of these symptoms is challenging, and evidence-based therapies are lacking. To evaluate the effect of an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention (eMBI) on reducing dyspnea in patients affected by different ILDs. This study was a prospective, open-label, controlled trial that included patients ≥18 years and a modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale score of ≥ 1. Patients were randomized into either the eMBI or the control group (CG) for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in the dyspnea mMRC scale. The Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ), King's Brief Interstitial Lung Disease (K-BILD) questionnaire, and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were performed before and after the eight weeks. All analyses were conducted on an intention-to-treat basis. The study was registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (ReBEC), RBR-3s4mf9y. 24 patients in the eMBI and 25 in the CG completed the intervention. In the eMBI group, compared to the control group, there was a greater proportion of patients with a reduction in dyspnea according to the mMRC scale score (48.9 % versus, 15.4 %, p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the groups in the LCQ (p = 0.666), or in the K-BILD (p = 0.108), depression (p = 0.08), or anxiety (p = 0.869 or stress (p = 0.789). No moderate or severe adverse events were observed in either group. Eight weeks eMBI is a potentially viable and safe approach, that can help manage dyspnea in ILD patients. •An eight-week online Mindfulness resulted in a proportional reduction of dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung diseases.•Mindfulness-Based Intervention is a viable and safe approach in patients with different interstitial lung disease.•The main limitations of the study are that was carried out in just one center in Brazil, it was not double-blind and with a relatively small sample size.