The resources are there to help GPs empower their patients with evidence-based care.
With more than 630,000 Australians in 2022 living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)1, the condition is a significant public health concern.
Despite its prevalence and robust clinical guidelines, there is an evidence-practice gap by health professionals in COPD management2 which has driven action to raise the standard of care. The new COPD Clinical Care Standard3 outlines best practice in the assessment and management of COPD for healthcare professionals.
COPD, which affects more than 1 in 13 Australians over the age of 404, continues to place a heavy burden on Australia’s health system and the people living with COPD and their loved ones.
The gold standard of care for these patients is yet to be achieved.
COPD is a manageable and preventable condition that relies on the implementation of guideline-recommended updated strategies by practitioners to optimise diagnosis, treatment and management. To make this happen, knowledge needs to be updated whilst aiming to meet best-practice standards.
Lung Foundation Australia CEO Mark Brooke said healthcare professionals play a critical role in empowering patients living with COPD.
“Staying up to date with the latest tools, standards, and emerging treatments means healthcare professionals can bridge the gap for patients between simply managing COPD and living well with COPD,” he said.
A 2023 survey revealed that fewer than half of general practitioners (N=64) were familiar with the COPD-X guidelines5, on which the COPD Clinical Care Standard is based.
Interventions focused on the latest evidenced-based practices, including the use of personalised COPD action plans, adherence to the guideline-recommended stepwise management approach and referral to pulmonary rehabilitation can significantly improve patient outcomes.
A focus on patient-centred care, where management plans are tailored to individual needs and regularly reviewed, are essential for improving the quality of life for patients and reducing unnecessary hospitalisations, which adds additional burden on the healthcare system. Likewise, addressing this gap in practice can lead to greater consistency and improved management of COPD.
A CALL TO UPDATE COPD CLINICAL PRACTICE
The Lung Learning Hub’s The QUAD: The Home of Quality Use of Medicines in Chronic Airways Disease not only provides valuable resources and training to support the integration of this gold standard of care into routine practice, but offers health professionals an easy way to stay up-to-date with the latest evidence-based practices to keep them at the cutting edge of care.
The co-designed education packages, including Stepwise management of stable COPD to prevent exacerbations, are underpinned by patient’s lived experiences and allow healthcare professionals to earn CPD hours in self-paced modules.
“Significant steps have been taken to support healthcare professionals deliver best practice and offer a gold standard of care for people with COPD,” Mr Brooke said. “We encourage all healthcare professionals to take advantage of these life-changing resources that are available at their fingertips and in a self-paced format.”
In addition to these guidelines, Lung Foundation Australia has services and resources for your patients including the respiratory care nurse tele-health service, the My COPD Checklist to easily understand what areas of their COPD care are tracking well, and a downloadable COPD Action Plan to be used in collaboration with their health professional.
THE WAY FORWARD IS CLEAR
The Australians living with COPD and those yet to be diagnosed deserve a gold standard of care in the management and treatment of their condition. The COPD Clinical Care Standard is a critical step towards reducing the burden the chronic condition places on our healthcare system. With the expected standard of care now clearly outlined, the commitment must come from health professionals to upskill and deliver the guideline-recommended care patients deserve.
To not make use of these strategies, self-directed learning modules and tools is to deny patients the ability to confidently manage and live well with a lung condition.
We simply must do better. It is the very least these patients deserve.
The Quality Use of Medicines in Chronic Airways Disease Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. An initiative by Lung Foundation Australia, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and Asthma Australia.
References:
- Australian Government Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Chronic respiratory conditions: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AIHW. 2024. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/copd. Accessed 12 September 2024.
- Bereznicki B, Walters H, Walters J, Peterson G, Bereznicki L. Initial diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Australia: views from the coal face. Intern Med J. 2017;47(7):807-13.
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2024). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Clinical Care Standard. Sydney: ACSQHC
- Toelle BG, Xuan W, Bird TE, Abramson MJ, Atkinson DN, Burton DL, et al. Respiratory symptoms and illness in older Australians: the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study. Med J Aust. 2013;198(3):144-8.
- Perera B, Barton C, Osadnik C. General practice care following acute exacerbations of COPD: A survey of Australian general practitioners. PLoS One. 2023;18(4):e0284731.
