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COPD clinical care standards up for review
GPs are being asked to have their say on the care that people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should expect to receive.
COPD affects one in 35 Australians over the age of 35 and is the leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations in the country.
Consultation has opened on the draft chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Clinical Care Standard, with GPs able to provide feedback up until Monday 18 December.
Produced by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC), the standard describes the care that people living with COPD should expect to receive, including for COPD exacerbations.
It also highlights the importance of palliative care for supporting patients with managing their symptoms and improving quality of life.
Dr Kerry Hancock, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine, told newsGP the standards are directly relevant to general practice.
‘I encourage GPs to have a look at the 10 proposed quality statements and accompanying notes and share their feedback via the survey link, written submission, or to me via RACGP Specific Interests,’ she said.
‘The draft quality statements are evidence based and consistent with our current Australian COPD Guidelines.
‘However, a clinical care standard differs from a clinical practice guideline in that it focuses on key areas of care where the need for quality improvement is greatest.
‘Indicators are included for some quality statements and some of those could be used by general practices to monitor how well they are implementing the care recommended in the clinical care standard using a quality improvement framework.’
She also pointed out that it can help GPs meet their CPD requirements.
COPD affects one in 35 Australians over the age of 35 and is the leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations in the country. As well as having a major impact on quality of life, it also is associated with significant costs to the healthcare system.
Aside from the new standards, two COPD-focused webinars are also on the horizon.
Lung Foundation Australia is hosting a 1.5-hour CPD-accredited event, which will be recorded, on Thursday 9 November at 6.00 pm (AEDT), while the RACGP is holding its own free webinar to align with World COPD on 15 November at 7.00 pm (AEDT).
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ACSQHC Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD
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