COPD Care in the 21st Century: A Public Health Priority.
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Abstract
COPD is an underdiagnosed undertreated and yet largely preventable disease COPD affects millions of Americans on a daily basis accounts for tens of thousands of deaths per year and costs billions to the United States health care system annually Further it impacts the quality of life for patients living with the disease COPD care is fragmented in the United States with a high level of responsibility placed on patients and their primary care physicians Pulmonary specialists care for a minority of patients with COPD in the United States Unfortunately tobacco dependence which is the leading cause of COPD remains prevalent Further women and those with low socioeconomic status continue to share a relatively greater burden of disease Exacerbations are experienced frequently by patients and contribute to high rates of emergency department visits and in patient admissions and readmissions as well as high medical costs to the United States economy Numerous strategies have been proposed to combat these high rates including the use of discharge bundles hospital at home programs telemedicine and tele rehabilitation but no single best strategy has emerged The COPD National Action Plan was introduced in 2017 as part of a multi stakeholder endeavor to encourage collaboration among various patients caregivers physicians researchers and policymakers to optimize awareness diagnosis and treatment of this disease It is time to make COPD care a public health priority