Educational interventions for health professionals managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary care.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common, preventable and treatable health condition. COPD is associated with substantial burden on morbidity, mortality and healthcare resources.

Objectives: To review existing evidence for educational interventions delivered to health professionals managing COPD in the primary care setting.

Clinical Characteristics Of Patients With Asthma COPD Overlap (ACO) In Australian Primary Care.

Purpose: Many older adults with a history of smoking and asthma develop clinical features of both asthma and COPD, an entity sometimes called asthma-COPD overlap (ACO). Patients with ACO may be at higher risk of poor health outcomes than those with asthma or COPD alone. However, understanding of ACO is limited in the primary care setting and more information is needed to better inform patient management.

Interdisciplinary COPD intervention in primary care: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

We evaluated the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary, primary care-based model of care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in 43 general practices in Australia. Adults with a history of smoking and/or COPD, aged ≥40 years with two or more clinic visits in the previous year were enrolled following spirometric confirmation of COPD.

Diagnosing COPD and supporting smoking cessation in general practice: evidence-practice gaps.

Objectives: To review the accuracy of diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care in Australia, and to describe smokers' experiences with and preferences for smoking cessation.

Design, Setting And Participants: Patients were invited to participate if they were at least 40 years old and had visited participating general practice clinics in Melbourne at least twice during the previous 12 months, reported being current or ex-smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years, or were being managed for COPD. Interviews based on a structured questionnaire and case finding (FEV1/FEV6 measurement) were followed, when appropriate, by spirometry testing and assessment of health-related quality of life, dyspnoea and symptoms.

Interdisciplinary model of care (RADICALS) for early detection and management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Australian primary care: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Up to half of all smokers develop clinically significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Gaps exist in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based guidelines for managing COPD in primary care. We describe the methodology of a cluster randomised controlled trial (cRCT) evaluating the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an interdisciplinary model of care aimed at reducing the burden of smoking and COPD in Australian primary care settings.