Nutrition in COPD
The Respiratory Healthcare Professional's Nutritional COPD Guideline has been designed to raise awareness of nutrition with respiratory health professionals and their COPD patients. Find out more...
About COPD
Although COPD is a progressive disease, we know that the right care and treatment at the right time can modify that progression. By ensuring that we offer an evidence-based, structured and proactive approach to care we aim not only to modify the disease progression but also improve the patient experience and reduce the need for hospital admission.
Why?
Respiratory disease accounts for around 12% of emergency medical admissions each year, but if we support the 835,000 people known to have COPD more actively, we should be able to reduce their need for hospital admission and improve their lives.
What we’re doing
The management workstream is exploring how self management support, provision of rescue medication and regular review can best be delivered by primary care and specialist teams, and the impact they can have on outcomes and use of healthcare resources.
What we’ve found so far
- Good self management support results in earlier recognition of and action on symptoms, reducing reliance on urgent care
- Many patients are not getting maximum benefit from their medication because they have not been taught good inhaler technique
- Prescribing costs can be reduced by careful management and review of patients’ medication
To do this well requires time and skills, not just good documentation.
Next steps
We now want to evaluate what are the key components of effective review and self management, and the best practical ways to implement them, to ensure that every minute of contact counts.
More information:
For more information on this workstream contact:
Catherine Blackaby
National Improvement Lead
Lung Improvement Programme
NHS Improvement
Mobile: 0782 519 3616
Email: catherine.blackaby@improvement.nhs.uk