[Is the introduction of clinical management programs for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease useful? Comparison of the effectiveness of two interventions on the clinical progress and care received].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of two management programs on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design: A study with a quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two interventions (I1, I2) for the care of patients with COPD after a mean follow-up of 31.2months.

Assessment of a primary and tertiary care integrated management model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Spain continues to present challenges, and problems are exacerbated when there is a lack of coordinated follow-up between levels of care. This paper sets out the protocol for assessing the impact of an integrated management model for the care of patients with COPD. The new model will be evaluated in terms of 1) improvement in the rational utilization of health-care services and 2) benefits reflected in improved health status and quality of life for patients.