Barriers to adherence to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease guidelines by primary care physicians.

Purpose: Even with the dissemination of several clinical guidelines, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains underdiagnosed and mismanaged by many primary care physicians (PCPs). The objective of this study was to elucidate barriers to consistent implementation of COPD guidelines.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study implemented in July 2008 was designed to assess attitudes and barriers to COPD guideline usage.