COPD: Health Care Utilisation Patterns with Different Disease Management Interventions
Abstract
Purpose
The management of COPD is a significant and costly issue worldwide, with acute healthcare utilisation consisting of admissions and outpatient attendances being a major contributor to the cost. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and integrated disease management (IDM) are often offered. Whilst there is strong evidence of physical and quality of life outcomes following IDM and PR, few studies have looked into healthcare utilisation. The aims of this study were to confirm whether IDM and PR reduce acute healthcare utilisation and to identify factors which contribute to acute health care utilisation or increased mortality.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with COPD who were referred to IDM over a 10-year period. Patients were also offered an 8-week PR program. Data collected were matched with the hospital dataset to obtain information on inpatient, ED and outpatient attendances.
Results
517 patients were enrolled to IDM. 315 (61%) also commenced PR and 220 (43%) completed PR. Patients who were referred to PR were younger and had less comorbidities (p < 0.001). Both groups (IDM only and IDM + PR referred) had reductions in healthcare utilisation but the IDM-only group had greater reductions. A survival benefit (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50–0.92) was seen in those who were PR completers compared to patients who received IDM only.
Conclusions
Patients with COPD who successfully complete PR in addition to participating in IDM have improved survival. IDM alone was effective in the reduction of healthcare utilisation; however, the addition of PR did not reduce healthcare usage further.
Keywords
Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive Disease management Rehabilitation Hospitalisation ReadmissionNotes
Acknowledgements
We thank the team at Melbourne Easy Breathers and the RMH respiratory department for patient assessments.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflict of interest
Dr Luk, Prof Hutchinson, Mr Tacey, Prof Irving and Prof Khan declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
For this type of study, formal consent is not required.
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